Truths
by Neurotica
Summary: Complete and Revised.AU.After an odd sighting on the full moon, Remus begins to realize his what he's believed for five years isn't quite accurate. With a little help from Dumbledore, Sirius is set free and the Marauders attempt to raise Harry. Pre-DH.
1. One

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything you recognize in this story. That privilege belongs to the one and only JK Rowling.

* * *

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_One_

--Ottery St. Catchpole, The Burrow--

A short, skinny, red-headed boy searched furiously through his small bedroom. He'd searched high and low, in the corners, under his desk, and even in the small hole in the wall next to his door. Ten-year-old Percy Weasley pushed his horn-rimmed glasses further up on his nose as he searched under his bed for the fifth time that morning.

"He's got to be here somewhere," he muttered. Percy stood up and looked around his room for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought. Two pairs of loud footsteps sounded in the bedroom above his, and were quickly followed by a crash... and silence.

Percy rolled his eyes pompously and sighed. _Twins are awake,_ he thought.

With another heavy sigh, Percy smoothed his robes and headed downstairs for breakfast. He arrived in the kitchen to find his other redheaded siblings loading their plates with eggs and sausages. His father was busy reading the _Daily Prophet_, while his mother finished fussing over breakfast.

Percy walked around the table and sat in his normal spot between Bill and his mother. He quickly scooped a small amount of eggs onto his plate before Charlie had the chance to realize there were any left and take them for himself. Percy looked around the table once again and waited for his mother to finally sit.

"Mother," Percy began, "have you seen Scabbers anywhere?"

Molly Weasley finished cutting up Ginny's breakfast and began to open her mouth to reply when a shrill cry erupted on the other side of the table.

"Fred! George! Honestly, can't we get through one meal without the two of you causing trouble?" Molly yelled.

It seemed that the mischief-making twins had somehow sneaked spiders into Ron's eggs. The terrified six-year-old ran screaming from the table and up to his bedroom. Bill and Charlie sniggered into their plates and Ginny chanted "spider, spider!" over and over. Arthur Weasley seemed to be trying hard not to follow his oldest sons' examples. Percy merely rolled his eyes into his eggs, which he had been pushing around his plate with a fork.

After a few more minutes of this, Percy decided he'd use the time to ask his father. Percy pushed back his plate, stood, and walked around the table to where his father sat reading the paper.

"Father," said Percy, "have you seen Scabbers anywhere? I've looked all over and I still can't find him."

Arthur folded his paper and sat it down on the table. "Well, where did you last see him, Percy?" he asked patiently over the shrill yells of his wife as she continued to berate the twins.

"Last night. Before I went to bed, he was asleep on my pillow. But when I woke up this morning, he wasn't there! It was like he disappeared."

Arthur patted Percy on the arm fondly and said, "Tell you what, Perce. After breakfast, you and I can go upstairs and see if we can't find Scabbers. Hmm?"

Percy smiled, and thanked his father before heading back upstairs to try to find his beloved rat.

Five years previous, Percy had been outside helping Bill and Charlie degnome the garden. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had met his downfall just two days before, and the three eldest Weasley children were more than thrilled to be outside without their mother checking up on them every two minutes.

As Percy walked further into the garden, he found a gnome terrorizing a poor, defenseless rat. The gnome had it by its bald tail, swinging it back and forth, laughing madly. It hadn't even noticed Percy come right up behind it. Percy kicked the gnome, which caused it to drop the rodent and run into a nearby hole for sanctuary.

Percy knelt down and reached out a small hand to the trembling, slightly cross-eyed rat. The rat cautiously inched towards the five-year-old, sniffed his hand, and let Percy pet it. After a moment, Percy picked up the rat for a closer look. The rat was unusually fat, had beady, watery blue eyes, brown fur, and looking closer to its front paw, Percy saw it had a toe missing.

"You're hurt," Percy murmured to the rat. He stood up with the rat in hand and quickly made his way back to the house, forgetting all about the gnomes.

Percy entered the kitchen and found his mother chasing around a small blur of red around the room. Fred (or maybe it was George, Percy could never tell) had stolen Molly's wand and had been running around the room turning things different colors. One of these things just happened to be Percy's newborn baby sister, Ginny. Molly finally caught up with Fred (or George), retrieved her wand, and turned Ginny—who was currently a bright shade of purple—back to her normal color.

Molly turned breathlessly to the offending twin. "George! What have I told you about taking Mummy's wand? Bad George!" she scolded.

George merely laughed and ran off to find his twin. Molly sank tiredly into a recliner with a sigh. Percy saw his only chance before the twins would undoubtedly cause something to break or explode.

"Mum, I found this rat outside, the gnomes were being mean to it, and it has a hurt foot. See? Can I keep it and make it better? Can I?" he asked in one breath.

Molly glanced at the rat with a raised eyebrow and looked at her son's hopeful face. _Who could say no to that?_ she thought to herself fondly. _And besides, it's better than some _other _things he could want to keep._

The week before, Charlie had relentlessly begged Molly and Arthur to get him a dragon, and refused to eat when they said no. This only lasted a few hours until Molly made a batch of homemade biscuits. And just two days before, Fred and George had tried to smuggle a vast variety of potentially lethal insects into their bedroom.

"Oh, I don't see why not Per—" But Molly was cut off by the sound of glass breaking in the kitchen. She stood—Percy had to jump back to avoid being knocked over—and ran quickly into the kitchen.

"Fred! George! No! Dinner plates are not frisbees!"

Satisfied that his mother would allow the rat, Percy swiftly made his way to his bedroom. He put the rat on his perfectly made bed and knelt down next to it.

"You can sleep on my bed. There's loads of room!" Percy said to his new pet. The boy looked closer at the rat's missing toe; it seemed to have happened very recently—it was freshly healed. Percy thought for a moment.

"Hmm... I think I'll call you Scabbers. Is that okay?"

The rat squeaked in response.

Taking it as a yes, Percy grinned and ran back down the stairs to the kitchen. Here, he retrieved some leftover toast from breakfast and a small bowl of water for Scabbers. When he returned, the rat was curled up on Percy's pillow, fast asleep.

From that day on, Percy took Scabbers everywhere. But now, he was missing.

Arthur had made good on his promise, and helped Percy search for his pet. Their search, however, turned up nothing; Scabbers had just disappeared.

* * *

Meanwhile, the rat called Scabbers scampered through the forest. He'd snuck out of Percy's bedroom while the boy had been asleep. He'd been planning this for months now, and had finally put his plan into effect. Scabbers paused for a moment to catch his breath. He was just as fat in his Animagus form as he was in his human one.

Peter Pettigrew, nicknamed Wormtail, had been lucky to enough to find a wizarding family that day nearly five years ago. His plan had worked; Sirius was in Azkaban, he, Wormtail, was alive and free, and the Death Eaters were so far none the wiser.

His plan now was to find Harry Potter. The boy had royally screwed things up for Wormtail that Halloween. How a defenseless fifteen-month-old child could defeat the Dark Lord, Wormtail did not know. What he did know, however, was that the Death Eaters were none too happy with him. If any of them were to find out that Wormtail had lived that day... Well, he just didn't want to think about what they would do to him. But now it was time to make amends. When Wormtail brought Harry Potter to the Death Eaters, they would have no other choice but to welcome him back with honors.

Wormtail grinned as only a rat could grin and looked up to the sky.

Full moon.

He wondered briefly how Remus was fairing without Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs as company. Memories of the adventures the four of them had at Hogwarts came flooding back to his mind.

_But that's the past,_ he thought furiously to himself, pushing back the memories. _Once I give Harry to the Death Eaters, the past will matter no longer. _

A howl in the distance broke Wormtail of his thoughts. Curious, the rat followed the noise to an incredibly familiar cottage at the center of the forest.

_How the did I end up here? _Wormtail thought bewildered.

Slowly and cautiously, Wormtail made his way to Remus Lupin's cottage.


	2. Two

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Two_

The werewolf called Moony paced around the cold, hard basement waiting for them to come. For five years now, he'd waited. It was obvious that Moony had yet to accept two of his friends were dead and the other rotting away in Azkaban, as good as dead.

So, every full moon, Moony waited.

The human half of him knew they would never again come, and he tried to make Moony understand this. Every time, though, Moony would lash out at himself, leaving his human counterpart bloody and bruised at moonset.

Tonight, Moony knew it was different. He'd picked up a familiar scent. However much he'd been told otherwise—that it was impossible—tonight was different. He howled for his friends to join him. Why were they making him wait? Moony looked out the small, rectangular window and saw the sight he'd been waiting for all those years.

* * *

For a moment, wolf and rat simply stared at one another, neither quite believing what was standing before them. Moony's eyes were wide with recognition; Wormtail's eyes were wide with fear.

He'd been noticed.

As fast as his short legs could carry him, Wormtail fled into the forest, cursing himself for his stupid, careless mistake.

* * *

Moony began to howl once more. He became furious at Wormtail for fleeing so quickly. He'd waited for so long, and his friend had left him once more. Why?

In his misery, he began to scratch and bite himself, enjoying the taste of his own blood.

After a few more hours of self-mutilation, the werewolf collapsed to the floor.

* * *

The moon had finally waned and the sun began to rise. As the rays of the sun hit him, Remus John Lupin awoke. The night before had been worse than he could remember it being in years.

Bloody and bruised, Remus carefully rose from the ground, wincing from the pain of his many self-inflicted injuries. Slowly, Remus staggered to the top of the basement stairs to the kitchen, and finally to the bathroom. It took much longer than it should have. He began to gather the potions, bandages, and healing creams he would need to dress his wounds, and collapsed to the cool bathroom floor.

_Wormtail used to do this for me in the mornings,_ he thought suddenly.

Wormtail?

Remus struggled to remember the night before. He remembered Moony howling for Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. That happened every full moon. But there was something else. Something much stranger...

The window.

Wormtail was at the window!

_No! Wormtail is dead,_ he thought furiously.

_But the scent, Remus, there's no confusing the scent, _said another voice.

_I was imagining it. There is no way Peter could have been here last night. Black killed him!_ he replied to himself.

_Maybe Sirius didn't kill Wormtail,_ the voice continued. _Maybe it was all a set-up..._

"NO!" Remus yelled, his voice echoing off the bathroom walls.

When the voice said no more, Remus continued to dress his wounds. Once he'd finished applying various pain and healing creams, and swallowing a variety of potions, Remus pushed himself from the tile floor, stumbled across the hall to his bedroom, and collapsed on his bed.

Sleep followed in minutes.

* * *

While Remus slept, Wormtail sat in the forest wondering what had possessed him to look into that bloody window.

_He knows! He knows! _the rat thought over and over again.

He'd have to do something. Surely Remus was smart enough to realize what he'd seen and in no time he'd have Dumbledore and Merlin knew who else after Wormtail.

He was in trouble, he knew it. He'd have to go... fast!

But something was pulling at him. Wormtail had heard his friend's—_no, my _former_ friend's_, he corrected himself—howls of pain just hours before.

And before he had time to realize what he was doing, Wormtail was scurrying back to Remus' small cottage. The kitchen window was left open (_for owl post_, the rat thought), and he ascended up the side of the cottage and into the window. He searched the kitchen for any sign of Remus. The coast seemed to be clear, so Wormtail hopped from the ledge to the floor.

He slowly crept through the cottage, searching for Remus, though he wasn't sure why; he'd stopped caring for the well-being of his so-called friends years ago. Once he had the Dark Mark, they hadn't mattered anymore.

Or so he'd tried to convince himself.

Wormtail knew deep down, that if it hadn't been for Remus or Sirius or James... well, he would have been nothing. Not that he felt like anything within the group. Sirius would always tease him; he was constantly the butt of jokes. And on many occurrences, he was the victim of prank experiments. In short, Wormtail had always felt underappreciated within the Marauders.

This was one of the reasons he'd joined the Dark Lord's cause. As a Death Eater, Wormtail was something other than James Potter's lackey. He was important; he gathered information concerning the Order the Phoenix and passed it to his master. The Potters had become an obsession to his master, and Wormtail, being so close to them, had an advantage the other Death Eaters didn't have.

The night he had become Lily and James' Secret-Keeper was one of the greatest in his short life. Wormtail finally had something to please his master—something that would undoubtedly gain his admittance to the Inner Circle. That night, Peter Pettigrew had done something not even Lucius or Bellatrix could have achieved: He'd delivered the Potters to the Dark Lord on a silver platter with a pretty bow on top.

But we all know how that turned out...

Wormtail wandered through the hallway of Remus' small home. He looked into the bathroom briefly, noticing bandage wrappers, potion bottles, and open jars of healing creams. Next he looked through the crack of Remus' bedroom door. Remus lay there with his legs dangling off the side of the old tattered bed.

Wormtail sighed. _Must have been a rough one if he couldn't even get into bed properly,_ he mused.

Wormtail climbed the blankets onto the bed and carefully walked to Remus' unconscious form. His breathing was steady; he was asleep.

And Merlin, could Remus sleep. _He'll probably be out until tomorrow morning._

Wormtail walked back to the edge of the bed and jumped off. He thought for a moment and transformed back into his human self for the first time in five years. He shook his head at his own obvious stupidity.

Carefully and quietly, he moved Remus fully onto the bed, placed a warm blanket over his former friend, and whispered, "Sorry, Moony, I had no other choice."

With a sigh, Wormtail turned to leave the bedroom. Maybe Remus would have some decent food in the kitchen...

"Wormtail...?" a quiet, hoarse voice said.

Slowly, and with eyes as wide as saucers, Wormtail turned back towards Remus' bed. Remus' eyes were still closed and he hadn't moved an inch.

_Maybe he'll just think he was dreaming,_ Wormtail thought hopefully.

Without hesitation, he transformed, once again, into the rat and fled from Remus' cottage. He'd wasted too much time, and if he stuck around any longer, he'd risk being caught. He could only hope Remus really would believe he was dreaming...

* * *

That afternoon, Remus had been dreaming. He dreamt he was at Godric's Hollow, at James and Lily's home. The scene wasn't one that he'd recognized as a memory, though, and when he'd walked into the familiar living room, none of the people there acknowledged his presence.

James and Lily sat together on the sofa, while Sirius sat across from him in the armchair he normally frequented in the Potters' home. They seemed to be discussing something of great importance.

"James, you know I would die for the three of you. You're the only family I have. Hell, you're the only family I have ever had," Sirius said quietly, unable to look the other two in the eyes.

James nodded, but said nothing as he stared at the floor. Sirius continued, "Look. Voldemort is going to know you've chosen me as your Secret-Keeper. There is no way around that; it's too obvious. And you know that I would never—for all the galleons in the world—give him information willingly." He paused. "But Prongs, he has ways of getting it out of me. He could use Imperius... or he could just kill me," he said matter-of-factly. "I don't want you to think I am saying this because I am afraid for myself. I am not afraid of dying. It's you I'm afraid for. You and Lily and Harry. You three are most important." Sirius sighed and waited for a response.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, James spoke, "What are you trying to say, Sirius? You don't want to be our Secret-Keeper?"

Sirius winced at the painful expression James had in his eyes. "James, I think if you and Lily made someone less obvious your Secret-Keeper, then you would have a better chance at coming out of all this rubbish. Of course, we'd still make it seem that it was me. That way the real Secret-Keeper has a better chance. It's the perfect bluff."

Lily cleared her throat, glanced at James, who was looking at his feet, and back to Sirius. "Okay, Sirius, let's say we agreed to this. Who would you recommend as 'the perfect bluff'? Remus?"

Sirius shook his head. "No way. I've already told you my theory on Remus." Lily rolled her eyes; they'd discussed this millions of times, but she didn't say anything. "No. Peter. Peter should be Secret-Keeper." Sirius waited for their reactions with a triumphant look upon his face.

James and Lily stared back at him with raised eyebrows. "Peter? Peter _Pettigrew_?" James asked, clearly confused.

Lily shook her head and muttered something that strangely sounded like "Sirius has lost his mind."

"Yes!" Sirius said enthusiastically. "Think about it! Who the _hell_ would suspect you to trust _Peter_ of all people with something this bloody big? Nobody, that's who! Not one, single, solitary person would think you would put Wormtail in a position like this." He smiled in satisfaction and sat back in the armchair with his hands folded behind his head. "The perfect bluff."

Suddenly, the scene changed. Remus was still in the Potters' living room, but it appeared to be a different day. Little Harry was asleep in Lily's lap, and instead of Sirius in the armchair, it was Peter.

Peter was holding his wand, beads of sweat dripping down his face, and it seemed as if the three adults had just made a life altering move for all present.

"Well, Pete," said James. "You are our Secret-Keeper."

Peter's face held the biggest grin Remus had ever seen him wear.

"Y-Yeah... I guess I am. I can't believe you guys trust me enough—"

Lily cut Peter's reply off. "Peter, if we didn't trust you, you wouldn't be here," she said simply.

Peter nodded, deep in thought.

James stood from the couch, clapped his hands together, and said, "Well, guess you better be going, eh?" Peter stood next to his friend. "Now, listen. Padfoot's going to check up on you around the first. He said he might come by on Halloween, but he's not sure yet. Just keep yourself off the radar, okay, Pete?"

Peter nodded again. "I will, Prongs. Don't worry about anything. You guys are safe with me. I'll take care of you." He stuck his hand out for James to shake, but instead found himself being embraced by one of the best friends he'd ever had.

"Take care, Peter," James whispered.

Peter returned the hug, which ended shortly after. He then turned to Lily, who handed a sleeping Harry over to James. She had tears in her eyes, and also pulled Peter into a hug. Before releasing him, she whispered, "Thank you, Peter," and kissed him on the cheek.

Peter couldn't seem to find any words to say. So instead, he nodded, and left the Potters' home.

* * *

Remus awoke in a cold sweat late that night—1:42 in the morning by the bedside clock. And all he could think of was how real the dream had seemed.


	3. Three

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Three_

Remus awoke the next morning feeling refreshed and ready for the day. He silently thanked the makers of his pain and healing potions for them doing their jobs so quickly and effectively.

Something kept him from feeling his normal post-transformation self. He hadn't forgotten the dreams he'd had the day and night before. He had, however, forgotten when he'd covered himself with the blanket that was now draped over his waist. That's what had happened in the dream; someone had covered him with a blanket. Not just someone, though; Peter…

In that first dream, Wormtail, his old friend—his old _dead_ friend—had been there. He'd covered Remus with a blanket and apologized for something. Remus didn't understand what he was apologizing for; he _had _nothing apologize for.

That one was almost as disturbing as the second one...

Almost.

Remus got out of bed, picked out his tattered clothes for the day, and headed for the bathroom for a shower. A nice, warm shower always seemed to clear the werewolf's mind. He peeled off his pajamas, and turned the water on. Once it was the desirable temperature, he stepped in and thoughts began to immediately surface his mind.

_What if it wasn't just a dream? _he wondered. _What if they really did switch?_

Remus also hadn't forgotten the wolf picking up the scent of Wormtail two nights before. And Remus was positive the wolf wouldn't make a mistake like that. No matter how much he missed his friends, no matter how many times he'd try to remind himself that they were dead (in one way or another), the wolf knew the scent. There was just no mistaking it.

But it still didn't make any sense whatsoever.

He'd have to discuss this with somebody. Somebody who wouldn't automatically think he was mad and book him a bed at St. Mungo's. Somebody who would listen to Remus' insane-sounding story and perhaps give some intelligent insight. Whatever this somebody would believe, Remus had to know whether or not he was losing his mind.

And he knew just the right somebody.

Albus Dumbledore.

With his mind made up, Remus quickly finished his shower and dressed. He headed straight for the fireplace, picking up the glass jar of Floo powder off the mantel. Remus threw a small handful of the greenish-blue powder into the fireplace, and said clearly, "Hogwarts, Headmaster's office."

Remus stuck his head into the whirl of flames and waited for the spinning to stop. Once it did—ignoring the dizziness the Floo travel had caused—Remus looked around the office. It hadn't changed a bit from the last time he had seen it over three years ago. The room was as grand and impressive as ever.

Sitting at the desk, writing on a piece of parchment, was the man to whom Remus needed to speak. He obviously hadn't noticed the werewolf's head in his fireplace, which struck Remus as odd; Dumbledore always knew what was happening at Hogwarts.

Remus cleared his throat. "Excuse me, Headmaster. Sorry to interrupt."

Dumbledore's head whipped up from the fireplace quickly. The twinkle in the old man's blue eyes was very prominent.

"Ah, Remus. What a pleasant surprise," he said as he walked to the fireplace and knelt down to Remus' level. "What can I do for you on this lovely summer's day?"

"Good morning, sir. I was wondering if I could have a word with you." Remus suddenly felt quite uncomfortable, and not from his position in the fireplace. "It—er—concerns Peter Pettigrew, sir."

Dumbledore seemed slightly taken aback by the choice of topics his former student had chosen to discuss, but he smiled nonetheless. "Of course, my dear boy. Come on through." He stood. "And do, please, call me Albus." His eyes continued to twinkle.

Remus laughed slightly and pulled himself fully through the fireplace. He followed Dumbledore to his desk and sat in the chair across from the Headmaster's, as he was indicated to do.

Remus watched as Dumbledore began silently making tea. Once it had finished, he poured the tea into two cups and handed one to Remus. Remus smiled in thanks as Dumbledore sat, reached into his cloak, and pulled out a small bag of yellow candies.

"Lemon drop?" he asked kindly.

Remus laughed and took the offered candy. He, James, Peter, and Sirius had all become quite addicted to these candies in school. Every time McGonagall would bring them before the Headmaster, he would offer them one.

Once both men had enjoyed their odd combination of tea and lemon drops, Dumbledore began the conversation. "So, Remus, you wanted to speak to me about Peter Pettigrew?"

Remus sighed, trying to think of a way to tell Dumbledore about his "dreams" without the old man thinking he was out of his mind. But Remus quickly reminded himself that Dumbledore could be slightly out of his mind when he wanted to be. His obsession with Muggle candies was sometimes quite absurd...

"Well, sir, it's not just Peter that I wanted to discuss—although he is a large part of it," he began. Dumbledore nodded for him to continue. "It pertains to Peter, as well as Lily, James, and... Sirius." Dumbledore sat up further in his chair. Remus continued once more, "You see, the other night, during the full moon. I—the wolf, I mean—picked up on a scent. It was Peter's scent. And I know he's dead, but sir, I know it was him." Dumbledore looked into Remus' eyes, searching him, and after a moment, sighed and nodded. "Well, the next afternoon, I had a couple of strange dreams. At least, I think they were dreams."

He explained the first dream in which Peter had entered Remus' home, covered him with a blanket, and apologized for... something. Then how when he'd awoken that morning, he had indeed been covered with a blanket. Remus had intentionally not told Dumbledore about seeing the rat in the window; Dumbledore had no idea that Peter, James, and Sirius were illegal Animagi.

Once he finished his recollection, Dumbledore sat forward with his elbows on his desk, fingers crossed under his chin in deep thought. Quietly, he asked, "How do you know it was Peter's scent that the wolf smelled?"

Remus jumped a bit at the question. He couldn't tell the Headmaster about the Animagi, or about how on every full moon, the four Marauders explored Hogwarts grounds and later Hogsmeade. If Dumbledore noticed Remus' hesitation, he hadn't said anything. "Well, I suppose it's because of my heightened senses from being a werewolf. I shared a dorm with Peter for seven years, and I just know his scent," he lied.

Dumbledore nodded. "Very well. You mentioned there was another dream?"

Remus let out a small, barely noticeable sigh of relief for the lack of questioning and told Dumbledore of the second dream. About Sirius suggesting Lily and James switch Secret-Keepers; how Peter actually became Secret-Keeper.

"It just seemed so real. It was clear as day—as if I was really there. Like in a pensieve. And I know that isn't possible." The two wizards sat in silence for a few moments, each collecting their thoughts, before Dumbledore spoke.

"Remus, do you believe Lily and James switched Secret-Keepers before they were murdered?" he asked.

Remus sighed deeply. "I just don't know, sir," he replied, shaking his head. "I mean, it could have been possible. If they had... that could only mean Peter was the spy, not Sirius. Peter was the one to betray Lily and James to Voldemort, not Sirius. But I wouldn't know how to explain what happened the next day. Peter tracking down Sirius like that... Unless it was the other way around; unless Sirius tracked _Peter_ down." Remus shook his head again. "But what about the Muggles? What about Peter? Well, I guess I could explain Sirius murdering Peter; Sirius always was one to seek revenge..." he thought aloud.

The mysterious, comforting twinkle in Dumbledore's blue eyes was long gone. When it had disappeared was anyone's guess. But now, Remus could see no trace of it. And for the first time in nearly five years, Remus saw how old Dumbledore really was.

"There may be a possibility, Remus," the Headmaster began, "that these dreams weren't dreams at all, that these scenarios may have actually occurred. Was there any evidence showing that anyone had been in your home yesterday afternoon?"

Remus thought for a moment. "Other than the blanket, no. But I could have just covered myself without remembering."

Dumbledore nodded, but remained silent in thought.

Remus knew—even if he did not want to believe it—that there was truly only one way to find out the complete truth, one way to solve the mystery that had erupted in his mind.

Maybe it was all just in his mind. Maybe he had been so desperate and lonely for five years that he had made it all up. He supposed the scent could have been a memory of his friend. The rat in the window with the missing toe could have just been some ordinary garden rat.

The other half of his mind was having a similar, yet completely opposite debate. The dreams had been so real. It was a definite possibility that Lily and James switched Secret-Keepers. If they did, and switched to Peter, it also made sense—especially if Sirius was convinced that Remus was the spy.

Sirius had been right about one thing: Nobody would ever suspect little Peter Pettigrew to be chosen as Secret-Keeper. The small, pudgy boy who feared all Slytherins, Secret-Keeper? Hell, at times Peter feared his own bloody shadow! The three of them—James, Sirius, and Remus—spent much of their spare time defending Peter from bullies in Hogwarts.

_But Peter grew up,_ a voice told Remus. _He grew up and started disappearing at the oddest times._

_That's true,_ Remus thought back to himself. One occasion in particular stuck out clearly in Remus' mind.

Harry had just been born. The four Marauders were gathered around the nursery window trying to catch a glimpse at Prongs Jr. Out of nowhere, Peter exclaimed in that squeaky voice he used when he got nervous that he had forgotten to do something for his mother and that he would be back later.

Now that Remus thought more about it, Peter did begin to do that a lot a few years after graduation. But how had nobody noticed he was doing it? The answer was quite simple: Nobody really paid much attention to Peter Pettigrew. And in the year before the Potters' deaths, "nobody" had come to include Peter's friends.

But why would Peter turn spy?

Power?

Peter never had power over anything. His mother controlled his entire life up until the day he died. Everything from what he was wearing on any given day, to where he would work.

Popularity?

That had always been James and Sirius' department. The two most popular guys at Hogwarts. Best at Quidditch, best in classes. They even got the girls they wanted. Even Remus was able to share some of the popularity spot light with Prongs and Padfoot. Peter, however, was the "forgotten" Marauder; the tagalong.

Respect?

Ha. That's a laugh. Peter rarely received respect within the group. Remus tried his best, but sometimes Peter could be so... _stupid._ Sirius cut him down on a daily basis, but insisted he was just joking. James didn't help matters much before seventh year. But perhaps that would have been too late?

Perhaps Peter would have turned spy to accomplish something the others hadn't?

He was never bright or athletic. He'd never scored high on any test; a passing grade was a huge success to the boy. Nor was he on the Quidditch team (unless you count equipment manager—James had given Peter the title when he was made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain in sixth year).

Peter would have made the perfect spy. Nobody noticed him. He never spoke in crowds unless spoken to, unless it was to one of his fellow Marauders. He could wander around in his Animagus form through conversations. He could have easily passed secrets onto Voldemort without the others knowing.

Remus' stomach clenched painfully. It was all starting to make sense now—in his mind, at least.

_There is a way to prove this all, you know. _The voice was back.

Lost in thought, Remus didn't notice Dumbledore gazing at him over his half-moon spectacles. After another moment, Remus finally realized he was being watched and looked up at the Headmaster.

"What is it you would like to do with this information, Remus?" Dumbledore asked quietly.

_There is no other choice... I have to know!_ Remus thought.

With a heavy sigh, wondering if this was, indeed, the right thing to do, Remus spoke, "I would like to go to Azkaban and speak with Sirius. Is there any way you could arrange that, sir?"

Remus noticed a small trace of the Dumbledore twinkle in the old man's eyes for a split second. "Are you free this afternoon, Remus?"

* * *

Wondering through dark sewers of London, Wormtail searched for the tunnel he needed. After hours of traveling from Remus' cottage, Wormtail met up with a few fellow rats that seemed more than happy to help the Animagus find his way.

He needed to get to Little Whinging, Surrey. Wormtail knew this was where Harry Potter had been taken. He'd gone to Godric's Hollow with his master that Halloween night. He'd hidden in some trees while it'd all happened. Wormtail heard James yell for Lily to take Harry and run. Then he'd heard the Dark Lord and James duel for a few minutes before James' life had ended. Wormtail heard Lily's pleas for mercy for her son, heard the Dark Lord laugh at her, and finally heard Lily's screams as his master murdered her. Moments later, there was a bright green light, followed by a scream of pain and confusion. That was when the house had been destroyed. That was when the Dark Lord had been defeated and had fled. Wormtail didn't leave his position in the tree; he waited for his master to come back for him, to give him instructions.

Sirius had arrived less than five minutes later. Wormtail watched as his former friend grieved for Lily and James, watched as he began to walk away, only to double back and uncover a fifteen-month-old child. Harry had survived. Hagrid arrived, and told Sirius that Harry was "ter be taken to his aunt and uncle's house."

Wormtail left the scene after that.

Wormtail knew exactly where Lily's sister's home was located. Just after graduation from Hogwarts, James and Sirius had come up with the brilliant plan to "prank the Muggles whom have caused his Lily-flower hell," as James had put it.

So the Marauders arrived at Number Four, Privet Drive and proceeded to change the Dursleys' home different colors. By the time they had finished, the house was pink with yellow dots on one half, and rainbow colored on the other. Just for good measure, Sirius bombarded the house in rotten eggs (he'd wanted to use _used_ toilet paper, but Remus explained that that was just sick and highly unhygienic, and talked Sirius out of it). Lily never found out about that particular prank. If she had, the Marauders—especially James—would have been in a lot of trouble with the fiery redhead. It was a harmless prank. Besides, the colors were only charms; they wore off two days later.

Since Peter had become a Death Eater (and subsequently a spy for the Dark Lord), he'd learned to pay very close attention to detail. Therefore, he remembered exactly where to find Harry Potter.

The only problem was finding the blasted sewer that would take him to Surrey. Wormtail was covered with filth from sewer water and Merlin only knew what else and he was beginning to become slightly agitated with his rat guide. The idiot didn't seem to have any clue as to where he was going. But Wormtail followed. Not that he had much choice in the matter; if he didn't follow, he could end up in Australia for all he knew about the sewers.

Finally, the rat ahead of him squeaked excitedly, pointed a dirty paw towards yet another wet, dark tunnel. Wormtail thanked the rat impatiently, and headed off, hoping he would be able to leave the sewers soon.


	4. Four

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Four_

Standing in the middle of the sea, far away from civilization, was a rocky fortress. The building itself gave off the feeling of dread. Its jagged grey walls were pelted continuously with cold rain. Thunder and lightning storms never ceased around the area surrounding the dreaded island; the Ministry liked to give the island's residents a taste of their future. And if the sight of Azkaban Prison wasn't enough for the prisoners to sense their impending doom, the dementors would surely finish the job.

There was only one way on or off the island Azkaban resided upon: a small wooden Muggle boat. Aurors officials bringing in new prisoners would have to brave the cold hard rain, followed by the meeting with the dementors awaiting their arrival. More than one Auror had sworn never to go to Azkaban again.

The inside of the prison was worse, if possible. There was never a moment's peace. Most prisoners went mad in a matter of days after meeting with the first dementor.

I say most because there was one prisoner of Azkaban who seemed unaffected by the dark creatures. Not totally unaffected; that wasn't possible. But for the amount of time he'd been a resident of Azkaban, this man was relatively normal. He had somehow found a way to guard himself from insanity.

The wizard guards claimed it was dark magic the prisoner used. Dark Magic taught to him by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Anyone who visited cell number three-hundred-eighty-two in the maximum security ward would merely find a man who seemed bored. Though he was surrounded by his fellow inmates screaming for insanity to take them, this prisoner sat in a corner of his cell, merely staring at the wall opposite him, completely oblivious to the world around him. Well, not completely oblivious, more like not caring, and as I said... bored.

Who was this man you ask? Who could _possibly _have enough power to keep himself from insanity? He was the most feared wizard in the prison. More feared than the Lestranges, who were insane before they were even arrested for their crimes; a man who killed twelve Muggles, and one of his best friends, with a single curse; a man who sentenced two of his other best friends to death; a traitor to the cause he was so eager to be a part of when he was younger. The Dark Lord's second-in-command. This man was none other than Sirius Black.

Contrary to very popular belief, however, Black wasn't using dark magic to keep himself from losing his mind to the dementors. There were two things that kept this from happening. The first was the fact that Black was innocent; he'd been framed by the rat. But, unfortunately for Black, only he and the rat knew this, and the rat wasn't telling.

The second was something only two other living souls, besides Black, knew about. Since the age of fifteen, Sirius Black had been an illegal Animagus. The grim-like animal sheltered Black from the dementors; they could not see, but they could sense Black's less-than-human emotions coming from the cell. So, every time Black began to feel the cold brought on by the dementors, he would transform.

The dementors stood guard just outside the ward and would enter at their leisure to torment the prisoners. They had just finished having their fun for the afternoon and had retreated back to their posts. If one was to happen to catch the prisoner of cell three-hundred-eighty-two off guard (which could never happen), they would instead find a large, black dog.

The dog's once shiny black fur hung matted and dirty from its thin body. Its ribcage was clearly visible beneath its thin fur due to five years of prison food. It sat, shaking, in a far corner of the small cell, listening to the tortured screams of other prisoners. The screams didn't bother the Animagus as much as they had when he'd arrived; after some time in Azkaban, you learn to block things out.

The dog lay on the dirty, cold cement ground head between his paws and attempted to drift off to sleep. He didn't bother with the "bed" Azkaban had provided him with. It was merely an unsteady wooden cot with what just passed as blankets.

Footsteps.

The dog's ears perked up. Even over the terrified, insane screams, he could hear them clear as day. And they were coming closer. Three sets, if he could hear right. The dog transformed back to his human self, but still stayed curled up in the corner, arms tightened around his knees. After a few minutes, two tall figures stopped directly in front of Sirius Black's cell, one of which was the last person he thought he'd see in the prison.

Albus Dumbledore looked at Sirius with an unreadable expression upon his old face. Sirius stared back.

The second figure (_I thought there were three,_ Sirius thought vaguely) was an Auror; Kingsley Shacklebolt to be precise. Sirius—along with James—used to work with Kingsley when he was an Auror just five years previous. It seemed so much longer ago...

Shacklebolt unlocked the cell door, allowing Dumbledore entrance. The Headmaster crossed the threshold of the cell wordlessly, sat down on the "bed," and looked out expectantly to the corridor.

A moment later, a man walked nervously to the edge of the cell. A man that made Sirius' heart leap into his throat. He'd definitely never expected to see Remus Lupin ever again. From the time he'd entered Azkaban, Sirius had been convinced he was friendless. There was no way in the world that Remus would believe he was innocent. Not after all the evidence that had pointed to Sirius. And as far as Remus knew, Sirius was the Secret-Keeper; therefore, he was guilty.

Remus stared at Sirius with the same expression as Dumbledore: none. He was completely void of any emotion on his face. Remus was good at this; he'd learned young to keep his emotions to himself.

Sirius couldn't find his voice. It was lost in the millions of thoughts going through his mind. There was so much he had wanted—_needed_—to say to his old friend, but at the moment, found it impossible.

After long moments of uncomfortable silence, Dumbledore spoke, "Hello, Sirius. I am sure you are wondering as to the reason we are here?" Sirius barely nodded. "Remus and I were hoping to ask you some questions, to possibly clear some things up. But perhaps we should find someplace more comfortable." He looked to Shacklebolt. The black, bald Auror moved to where Sirius sat staring unblinkingly at Remus.

"Come on, Black. Up you get," he said in a deep, booming voice.

Slowly, Sirius began to rise. His legs were weak with lack of use, and Sirius had to be held up by the Auror to keep from falling.

Silently, Dumbledore walked from the cell, followed closely by Remus. Shacklebolt held a firm grip on Sirius' arm, not to keep him from falling any longer, but to keep him from running. Sirius wouldn't try to run if he could; he was too curious to find out what could possess his former best friend and Headmaster to come for a visit.

The four wizards walked silently through the corridors of the prison. Screams of pain and madness sounded all around them. The dementors must have been placed on the opposite side of the prison while the visitors were inside.

Sirius looked straight ahead at the back of Remus' head. _What the hell is going on?_ he wondered.

After five years of no contact whatsoever, Remus and Dumbledore show up. Not that Sirius blamed Remus for his lack of contact. If Remus were the one locked up, convicted of killing thirteen people, being a Death Eater, and responsible for Lily's and James' deaths, Sirius wouldn't want to see him, either.

They walked for another five minutes until they arrived in front of a large metal door. Dumbledore turned the handle, walked in, and awaited for the others to enter, before closing it and crossing the room.

An interrogation room.

A long metal table stood in the middle of the cement room. It was surrounded by uncomfortable looking metal chairs. Shacklebolt led Sirius to one, and sat him down. The Auror stood just behind Sirius—wand out—as if daring him to try something. Dumbledore and Remus walked to the opposite side of Sirius.

Before he sat, Dumbledore removed a large block of chocolate from his cloak. Once he'd discarded the wrapper, he broke the chocolate into four pieces, and passed them to the others before eating his own.

Sirius stared from the chocolate in his hand, to Dumbledore and Remus; neither looked back. He took a bite of the chocolate and instantly felt a warmth and energy he hadn't had in years.

* * *

Remus sat in his chair, eating the chocolate given to him by Dumbledore, wondering if this had been the right thing to do, after all. He looked across the table at Sirius. His face, once so full and tan, was now sunken and pale. His eyes, once so full of life and bright grey, now deadened and dull. He looked as though he hadn't eaten in months; Remus could see the man's ribs through the tattered and dirty Azkaban robes. Frankly, he looked like shit.

_But,_ Remus had to remind himself,_ he's been in Azkaban for five years. There's no telling what he's like now._

Remus wasn't sure what to expect. By the end of the afternoon, he would have the answers he so desperately wanted. And if Sirius was innocent...

"What's going on?"

Remus jumped at the unrecognizable voice his former friend now used. Sirius was looking to Remus for answers. Remus averted Sirius' gaze, and looked instead to Dumbledore.

"Well, Sirius," the old wizard spoke, "we just have a few questions. It shouldn't be much longer."

Just as he spoke those words, the metal door opened. Two more men walked in. The first was not much younger than Remus and Sirius. In fact, if Remus' memory was correct, he was a year behind them at Hogwarts. The younger man had short, blond curly hair with light blue eyes. He carried with him a stack of parchment and a handful of quills and ink.

* * *

The second man was one Sirius knew all too well. He was one of the Ministry officials on the scene the day of his capture. He was the one who'd visited Sirius' cell on numerous occasions to—as Sirius believed—check on the stability of his sanity. He was one of the reasons Sirius never received a trial. He was Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge.

This afternoon, the Minister looked very perturbed indeed. The question on Sirius' mind was why? That seemed to be the only thing going through the—accused—convict's mind since the arrival of Dumbledore and Remus just a short time ago.

_Why?_

With a look of disgust and hatred, Fudge passed Sirius (who returned said look), and walked straight to Dumbledore. The older wizard stood with what looked like a very forced smile and shook hands with the Minister.

"Cornelius, how are you this afternoon?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

Fudge's frown increased. "Not very well at all, Dumbledore. I don't know what you are getting to with this," he gestured to Sirius, "but I would like to get it over with as quickly as possible. There are more important things I need to be doing."

Sirius resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Dumbledore inclined his head and reached into his robes once more. This time, however, he pulled out a phial of clear liquid and placed it directly in front of Sirius.

Sirius looked from the phial to Dumbledore in question. Dumbledore sat and folded his hands on the table. Fudge nodded to the man he had arrived with, who unrolled his parchment, dipped his quill in the ink, and waited.

After a few moments of silence, Dumbledore finally spoke. "Sirius, sitting in front of you is Veritaserum. We ask that you take three drops so that we may ask you some questions. You may, of course, refuse. At which time, you will be taken back to your cell." He paused. "Do we have your consent to administer the Veritaserum, Sirius?"

Sirius looked from Dumbledore's eyes to Remus. His old friend had quickly looked down at the table. Sirius looked back to Dumbledore and nodded his consent. _Was that a smile on the old man's face?_

Shacklebolt moved forward and uncorked the phial of Veritaserum. He removed a small amount of the liquid with an eye dropper, and replaced the cork. "Open wide, Black," he said.

Sirius opened his mouth and waited for Shacklebolt to place the drops on his tongue. One... two... three... the cold liquid trickled down his throat. The room began to fade.

* * *

Remus watched as the Veritaserum was swallowed. _Moment of truth,_ he thought. The play on words had no meaning to the werewolf as he watched Sirius' eyes become unfocused; the Veritaserum was taking effect.

Once again, Dumbledore spoke.

"What is your full name?" he asked.

"Sirius Orion Black," Sirius replied in a distant, monotone voice.

"Date of birth?"

"12 December 1959."

A number of simple questions were asked to be sure of the Veritaserum's worth, as was Ministry procedure. Finally, the tough questions.

"Did you know Lily and James Potter?"

"Yes."

"How did you know them?"

"James and I had been best friends since the age of five. Lily and I met at Hogwarts."

"When was the last time you saw Lily and James alive?"

Remus sat straighter in his seat.

"Two days before they were killed."

"Sirius, were you Lily and James' Secret-Keeper?"

Remus held his breath.

"No."

"Who was their Secret-Keeper?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

Remus dropped his head into shaking hands.

"Why did the Potters switch?"

"I asked them to. Voldemort—" a shudder from all but Dumbledore and Remus went through the room, "—would have known that I was their Secret-Keeper. So I suggested they switch to somebody less likely."

"Why didn't you inform anybody of the switch?"

"We wanted people to think I was the Secret-Keeper. Peter was to go into hiding. It was supposed to be the perfect bluff. But it turned out that Peter was the spy."

"Sirius, what happened the morning of 1 November 1981?"

"After I left Godric's Hollow, I went to London. I was looking for Pettigrew. I finally found him. I cornered him. He had his wand and a silver dagger behind his back. I didn't see either and I pulled my wand out. I said some things to him and he shouted for the entire city to hear that I had betrayed Lily and James. He cut off his finger, blew up the street, transformed into a rat, and ran into the sewers."

The entire room sat in stunned silence for a few minutes. Even the Minister couldn't find anything to say. Remus wiped away tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.

Dumbledore glanced at Remus before turning his attention back to Sirius.

"Is Peter Pettigrew an illegal Animagus?"

"Yes." Sirius' head fell to his shoulders, signaling the end of the Veritaserum's effect.


	5. Five

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Five_

The interrogation room inside the prison of Azkaban was stunned into a tense silence. All of its occupants seemed to have momentarily stopped breathing; you could literally hear a pin drop and echo in the uneasy silence. Nobody could find anything to say after what had just been found out. Sirius Black—convicted murderer, Death Eater, and traitor—was _innocent_. Innocent and framed...

A clearing of a throat interrupted the quiet. "D-did you get all that, Johnson?" Cornelius Fudge asked his assistant in a hoarse whisper.

Johnson looked at his parchment with wide eyes, reread his notes, and nodded.

"Very well," Fudge cleared his throat, and continued speaking, "I will return to the Ministry and send word of my decision shortly." He stood to leave; Johnson followed his example.

Dumbledore also stood; the twinkle was back in his eyes. "Thank you for your patience, Cornelius. We look forward to hearing your decision."

Fudge nodded once and left the room.

Remus, who until this point, sat with his head down in his arms on the table, came back to reality when the door clicked shut. He looked across the table to Sirius who was still unconscious from the Veritaserum, and then to Dumbledore.

He swallowed, though his throat was dry. "Sir," he began in a raspy, shaky voice, "w-what's going to happen to Sirius?"

Dumbledore turned to his former student and smiled. "Well, if I am correct in my assumptions, the Minister will return to his office, throw a small tantrum, and send an owl stating that Sirius is to be set free."

Free.

Sirius was going to be set free. He was innocent. Peter was the traitor. Peter was the reason Lily and James were dead. Peter was the reason Harry was an orphan and living with Muggles. And Peter was the reason Remus had been alone for five years. Anger and sadness, and most of all, guilt was flowing through Remus like a river. All of the bitterness and hatred he had, until just fifteen long minutes ago, held for Sirius was gone. Remus had one of his brothers back.

Like a breaking dam, tears began to flow from the werewolf's eyes before he'd noticed. Everything that had happened over the past five years—everything he'd _felt _over five years—came back to him at that very moment.

Once Remus had gotten himself under control, and wiped his face with the sleeve of his robe, he looked back at the Headmaster. Dumbledore, as it appeared, had looked away to allow Remus a moment, for which he was grateful.

Dumbledore looked back to Remus with a kind smile. "Are you all right, Remus?" he asked gently.

"Yes, sir, I'm fine," was the barely audible response from Remus.

A deep booming voice sounded from next to Remus. He jumped. "Well, this has been an interesting day," Kingsley said. He seemed just as stunned as the others in the room. Once the questioning had ended, Kingsley had to pull a chair to sit; Remus hadn't even noticed.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Indeed it has, Kingsley. Indeed it has."

The three wizards stared at one another for minutes, each stuck inside his own thoughts.

A groan made all three off them jump. Sirius was coming around.

* * *

He groggily opened his eyes, fighting against the bright lights of the room. _Where am I?_ he wondered. He certainly wasn't in his cell, it was too damn bright. And then it hit him. Remus. Dumbledore. Fudge. Veritaserum.

Sirius opened his eyes wide, searching the room. Staring back at him was Albus Dumbledore, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Remus Lupin. Confusion set in—why was he here? Why was he being questioned after five years?

Dumbledore spoke in the kind voice Sirius remembered from his Hogwarts days. "Hello, Sirius. How do you feel?"

Sirius clenched his eyes shut and put a shaky hand to his head. "Like I could use a good sobering charm, sir," he replied in that same hoarse voice as before.

Shacklebolt snorted at, not only his humor, but the fact he was able to actually keep that humor after five years with dementors. Dumbledore chuckled, and Remus managed a slight smile—at least, he hoped he had. He felt strangely numb at the moment.

"Sir, what's going on? Why are you all here?" Sirius asked.

"Sirius, as I was just telling Remus, I believe that within the next hour you will be set free by the Ministry."

Sirius' eyes widened even more. "S-sorry, w-what?" he managed to speak. "But... h-how? _Why?"_

Dumbledore looked to his left to Remus; he was once again in his own little world. He looked across to Kingsley and asked, "Kingsley, I wonder if you could possibly step outside for a moment?"

The Auror stood, nodded, and said, "Of course, sir. Let me know if you need me." With a respectful bow of his head to Dumbledore, Kingsley left the room.

Once again, the closing of the door jolted Remus from his thoughts. He looked up only to find Dumbledore and Sirius looking back.

"Perhaps you would like to be the one to explain the recent events to Sirius, Remus?" Dumbledore asked.

Remus sighed and, for the first time in years, looked into the eyes of his old friend. They were hollow, dead-looking. Remus cleared his throat slightly and began. "Well, Sirius, the other night, during the full moon, the wolf caught Wormtail's scent. I think he was outside my house." Remus watched as Sirius stiffened in his chair. "The next morning, I had a dream that Wormtail came into my bedroom, covered me with a blanket, and apologized for something." Remus closed his eyes, and sighed heavily.

"After that dream, I had another one. It was about you and James and Lily. You were discussing switching Secret-Keepers. You wanted them to switch to Peter because you thought it was the perfect bluff. And then, I guess it was a different day, Peter was there in your place. I supposed they'd just made him Secret-Keeper." He opened his eyes again and looked back at Sirius. He looked like he was about to cry as well, but was fighting hard not to. "This morning, I went to Dumbledore and told him about the dreams. And then we came here."

Sirius broke the eye contact and looked at the metal table. Slowly, he looked back to Remus with a pained expression on his face. "You... _dreamed_ all that? About James and Lily?" he asked quietly. Remus nodded slowly. "Wow. I suppose I should thank you, then, eh?" He attempted a smile, but only managed a small, strained grin. "Thank you, Remus," he said sincerely. Sirius then stuck out a shaking hand for Remus to shake.

For a moment, Remus made no movement. He sat considering Sirius' thin hand, and then abruptly stood. He walked to the other side of the table. Sirius seem startled by the sudden movement before Remus put out his own hand, and pulled Sirius into a long embrace. "I'm sorry, Sirius," he whispered.

Both knew that there was so much more to say, but for the moment, decided to keep it to themselves.

They released each other at the same moment, both man's eyes shining with tears. A heavy weight was lifted off both pairs of shoulders for the time being.

The door opened once more and Kingsley Shacklebolt reentered, holding a thick envelope. "Sorry to interrupt," he said, "but I thought you might want to see this. Just arrived from the Ministry."

Sirius and Remus exchanged a look and looked at Dumbledore. The old man's eyes were still sparkling and there was a small smile on his lips. He nodded for Kingsley to open the envelope. Inside were many pieces of parchment. Kingsley opened and read the first silently to himself. He looked back to the other three who were all looking back eagerly and anxiously. Well, maybe not Dumbledore; he seemed to know what was in that parchment already.

Kingsley cleared his throat and read aloud, "'I, Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic, hereby grant Sirius Orion Black immediate release from Azkaban. Mister Black will receive retribution in the amount of 638,419 galleons for his wrongful imprisonment. The Ministry deeply regrets and apologizes for this terrible mistake. Signed, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.' And these are Sirius' release papers." He handed the remaining pieces of parchment to Sirius. "I have to go have a word with the dementors. I'll be back in a moment, and we can get out of this bloody place." Kingsley shuddered at the thought of having to go near the dementors and excused himself from the room.

Dumbledore, for the third time that afternoon, reached into his robes, this time to hand Sirius a quill. "I believe you'll need this, Sirius."

Sirius took the quill, hands still shaking, and looked at the papers. _This is really happening, right? _he wondered. _I'm almost free! This is what I've been dreaming of for five bloody _years_!_

Ten minutes later, the papers were signed, and the three wizards were awaiting Kingsley's return. Nobody had said a word since Dumbledore offered Sirius the quill. Remus and Sirius were both trying to fully comprehend exactly what was happening. Dumbledore was watching the two with interest.

"I have one question for the both of you," he began in a serious voice. Remus and Sirius looked at their former Headmaster and waited for him to continue. "Who would like to explain about becoming Animagi?"

The two younger wizards stared at one another in surprise. He knew. They were busted. Both of them would be sent to Azkaban. Perhaps not Remus; he wasn't an Animagi—he was a werewolf. But could it be possible that he would be sent to prison, as well, since he had been the reason three of his friends had broken wizarding law in fifth year?

When they looked back at Dumbledore, however, something told Remus that the old man already knew everything. He had a large smile on his face and the brightest twinkle in his eyes that either of them had seen in many, many years.

* * *

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere...

Wormtail had been traveling all day and night. He wasn't used to all this exercise; he was used to lying on a pillow and eating all day. He was used to being a fat and lazy rat.

He'd finally gotten out of the sewers and found himself in the middle of a field somewhere. Lost… Again. That rat from the sewer had no idea what he was talking about.

So far on his trip, he'd encountered idiot rats, nasty sewers, and a very hungry cat—which he very narrowly escaped.

But wait... Wormtail could see city lights in the distance. The sun was setting and the rat decided it was time for a quick rest. A few hours, and he could figure out what city he was in (hoping it was somewhere near Surrey...). He settled himself down in a patch of grass beneath some bushes, curled up, and closed his beady eyes. Maybe after he slept, he could scavenge the dumpsters in the city for some food.

Things were looking better already for Wormtail. In a few days time, he would have Harry Potter in his grasp, and he could pay a visit to his fellow Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy, to present the boy and reap his rewards.

Nope, nothing could go wrong any longer.

At least that's what he thought...

Luckily, he wouldn't be able to read the newspapers that night...


	6. Six

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Six_

On a beautiful evening, late into June of 1986, as witches and wizards all across Britain and surrounding areas sat in their living rooms, owls delivered the most shocking news they had heard in years—since the days of You-Know-Who. It was perhaps even more shocking than finding out that little Harry Potter, now known widely as the Boy-Who-Lived, had survived the Killing Curse, thus ridding the wizarding world of the most terrible wizard of their time.

The _Evening Prophet_ had printed a special edition documenting the story. From cover-to-cover, these witches and wizards read their papers. Feelings of shock, followed by disgust, disbelief, more shock, anger, sadness—and did I mention shock?—filled the readers as they learned of the day's events.

On the cover of that _Evening Prophet_ was a man no more than twenty-one years of age. He wore recently acquired Azkaban Prison robes. His face was that of a psychotic madman; he laughed about his crimes in the faces of the readers.

For years, nobody doubted the charges brought against this man. Those who had known him in the years before the photo was taken were astonished, to say the very least. He seemed like such a nice young man, they thought. A troublemaker, sure, but not a bloodthirsty, power hungry Death Eater.

Others didn't seem nearly as surprised. These were the people who had known the man by family reputation alone. They didn't look at his accomplishments at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; they took no notice in his outstanding record as an Auror for nearly four years before his arrest. They looked only at the man's family. A family from which he had run away; a family he tried desperately to forget as he grew up. But they believed that a boy raised in a family such as the Blacks would surely turn out as a dark wizard, just like the rest.

Regardless of how much the wizarding knew about Sirius Black's history, the headline on the _Evening Prophet_ dropped more than one jaw that night.

_**Sirius Black: Innocent!**_

_This afternoon, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge held a press conference in his office concerning Sirius Black—the accused murderer of twelve Muggles and one wizard. Black has been in the prison of Azkaban for these past five years serving time for the crimes he committed. _

_However, Minister Fudge has told reporters that Sirius Black is innocent. The Minister refused to comment on the occurrences that led to Black's apparent innocence, but had this to say:_

_  
"For five years, we believed Black to be a murderer and a Death Eater; Lord—Whatchamacallit's second-in-command. These facts are untrue and Sirius Black is indeed innocent. He will be awarded over 600,000 galleons in retribution for his wrongful imprisonment, and has been set free this evening."_

_When asked about the murders that took place 1 November 1980—the day after the fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named—Fudge said that the true culprit was Peter Pettigrew._

_Pettigrew, as we all know, was the young wizard who cornered Black that fateful morning. Blinded by fury and grief over the deaths of Lily and James Potter, Pettigrew attempted to catch Black. His plan soon backfired when Black—formally an Auror with the Ministry of Magic—caused an explosion on the Muggle streets of London, killing twelve innocent bystanders and Pettigrew, himself. All that was left of Pettigrew was his right index finger. Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin shortly after._

_This, however—according to Fudge—is not the accurate take on events. It seems that Pettigrew—_

* * *

"Well, there you have it, Sirius, the truth is finally revealed," Albus Dumbledore spoke from behind his desk in his office at Hogwarts.

Sirius Black sat in a chair across from the Headmaster, head in his hands, in complete disbelief of the occurrences of the day. He, Dumbledore, and Remus Lupin left the Ministry of Magic just an hour earlier. Sirius had been given a new pair of robes, and the house-elves at Hogwarts made a large spectacle of burning his old ragged prison ones.

Remus' disbelief was mounting just as high as Sirius' at the moment; this was _not _what he thought he would be doing this evening. His only plans were the usual one-man dinner and watching some old Muggle movie on the television Lily and James had bought him one Christmas.

"This is insane," Remus muttered.

Dumbledore chuckled while Sirius nodded his head in agreement.

"You're telling me. I never thought this would happen. Not in my wildest dreams. And I have to say, this still seems like a dream to me," Sirius commented more to himself than to the others in the office.

Dumbledore sighed sadly. "Sirius, I believe I owe you an apology—"

Sirius waved the Headmaster off. "There was no way you could have known." Sirius looked to his right at Remus who now had his head buried in his hands, finding the floor very interesting at the moment. "There was no way _anyone_ could have known. Lily, James, Harry, Wormtail, and I were the only ones who were to know; that's the way we wanted it. We thought it was the perfect plan. If anyone owes anyone an apology, I owe it to the two of you. We should have told at least you, Professor. If we had, Lily and James might still be alive today."

Remus looked at his friend, ignoring the last few comments for the moment. "You're right, Sirius. We couldn't have known about the switch. But I should have known you weren't the spy; I didn't have enough evidence to prove that you were. I should have known you would never betray us—especially Lily and James—to anyone. I should have known. But instead of storming the Ministry the day you were arrested, I chose to stay at home and wallow in my own self pity. I didn't give a second thought to your guilt. I should have demanded you received a trial at the very least," he said bitterly

Sirius smiled resentfully. "Do you really think those bloody idiots at the Ministry would have listened to you, Remus? They were all too wrapped up in Voldemort being gone that they didn't give a _shit_ who they were throwing into Azkaban." Sirius shot an apologetic glance at Dumbledore who pretended to be interested in a portrait.

"Besides, I am a Black. If you were to walk into the Ministry and demand a trial for the son of two of Voldemort's most vocal supporters after all the supposed evidence they had on me, they would have laughed in your face. Not to mention the fact that you just happen to be a werewolf. They probably would have given you a cell right across from mine for showing your support for me. There was no chance, Moony." Sirius paused and smiled a bit. "Well, until today that is."

Remus tried to return the smile and failed miserably. The guilt he felt for his best friend being in a place that most had called hell was unbearable. Remus felt as though he had somehow failed Lily and James by letting Sirius rot away like that.

Making matters worse was the fact that the true traitor was out there somewhere...

Remus was finally convinced he hadn't dreamed about Wormtail visiting him the day before last. He had been there and now there was no telling where he was headed. It was insane, for lack of a better word. Of course, Peter Pettigrew never really had much common sense.

But why now? Why, all of a sudden, did the traitor come out of hiding? There must have been a reason... and Remus was determined to find out what that reason was.

A knock on the Headmaster's office door broke the thoughtful—slightly bitter—silence; Dumbledore bid the visitor entry. Neither Sirius nor Remus looked up until they heard a familiar voice.

"Albus," said a sharp voice the two had heard numerous times in detention, "I've just read the paper. Is it true?"

Minerva McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House and newly-appointed Deputy Headmistress, seemed in complete astonishment. Her hair, normally in a tight bun, was now a total mess, sticking up in very odd directions. It reminded Sirius of second year when James charmed her hair to have the effects of static cling. In her hasty entrance, she had yet to notice the other two wizards in the room.

Dumbledore smiled at McGonagall, apparently enjoying the frazzled look she was sporting this evening. "Yes, Minerva, it is all true. Sirius Black is innocent."

"And Pettigrew?" McGonagall asked in a strangled whisper.

The Headmaster's smile disappeared with a sigh. But it was Remus who answered McGonagall's question. "Peter was the traitor all along. He framed Sirius," he said quietly, still trying to convince himself of what was happening.

McGonagall looked at Remus as though she had never seen anything quite like him before. She then looked to Remus' left. McGonagall's eyes went wide, and her hand flew to her mouth in a gasp. "Black!" she hissed.

Obviously, even though the paper, Dumbledore, and now Remus had told her the truth, it was still hard to change peoples' beliefs. Sirius ignored the horrified tone his former professor used, and instead, reverted back to his school days.

"Professor McGonagall, long time no see. Still beautiful as ever…" he said, attempting his old charming smile.

McGonagall closed her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. When she opened them, she walked directly in front of Sirius' chair and stopped. "Stand up, Black," she said in her most stern professor voice.

Sirius looked from Remus and Dumbledore with a confusion on his face, but did as he was told.

And then something happened that three in the room would have never thought possible. The fourth would most likely deny that it ever happened... Professor Minerva McGonagall—perhaps the strictest professor to ever teach at Hogwarts—hugged Sirius Black. At first, Sirius didn't know what to do; one didn't hug this particular professor every day. In fact, this was the first time any in the room had seen this behavior from the Transfiguration mistress. McGonagall was hugging Sirius like a long lost son. Awkwardly, Sirius patted her on the back.

Remus was torn between being moved by the moment, and bursting out laughing at the very idea of McGonagall hugging _anyone_, least of all, Sirius. Looking at Dumbledore, the old man seemed to be fighting the very same battle.

To Sirius' immense relief, McGonagall finally released him. She cleared her throat—though it sounded as though she had a severe head cold—and turned around to glare at the wizards threateningly. The Headmaster's lips were twitching dangerously, but the glare she turned on him ceased all movement at the corners of Dumbledore's mouth. McGonagall conjured a chair out of thin air, placed it next to Sirius, and sat. Dumbledore made to offer her a lemon drop, but with another look from her, he shrugged, and popped one of the yellow sweets into his own mouth.

"Ah, Heaven," he muttered. Sirius and Remus laughed while McGonagall rolled her eyes and huffed. Sensing the impatience of the Deputy Headmistress, Dumbledore finally spoke. "Well then, since Minerva is here, perhaps we shall discuss the search for Peter Pettigrew." All former humor was completely gone. "Remus, Sirius, perhaps you could describe Pettigrew's Animagus form?"

McGonagall gasped again. "He's an Animagus? But… h-how?"

The two former students exchanged a look, and then looked at Dumbledore. Remus opened his mouth to reply, but the Headmaster was quicker. "I shall explain later, Minerva," he said, looking at the younger wizards expectantly.

Sirius cleared his throat and spoke. "Well, he's got brown fur—just like his hair. Beady, watery, blue eyes, a fat bald tail—it looks like a worm, hence the nickname Wormtail—and most likely, he's missing a toe on his front right paw."

Remus continued, "He's also got a long scar on his stomach. It runs from his neck to his navel. He—er— got into a fight with... something a long time ago." Remus and Sirius exchanged another look. Wormtail received this scar on one of the Marauders' full moon escapades. It seems rats and werewolf claws don't mix too well.

Dumbledore nodded. "I will send this information to the Ministry. I am sure that Aurors will want to search your home and surrounding property, Remus, for any possible clues as to where Pettigrew may have gone."

Remus nodded. "I will be more than happy to comply, sir."

McGonagall looked deep in thought when she next spoke. "If Pettigrew has been in hiding all this time, why has he chosen now to reveal himself?"

Dumbledore sighed, "There could be a number of reasons to this, most of which seem very unlikely. However," he looked at Remus, "I do not believe he meant to be seen by Remus."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that was bloody stupid of him—great for me, stupid for him. He knows, maybe more than the rest of us, how excellent Remus' sense of smell is on the full moon."

McGonagall gave Dumbledore another quizzical look.

"I'll explain later," he told her again. "Minister Fudge has guaranteed to have all of the top Aurors on this case. And, with any luck, they will capture Pettigrew soon." Dumbledore paused. "Now, Sirius, I believe I have something that belongs to you." Dumbledore stood and crossed the room to a wooden cabinet.

Sirius raised his eyebrows at Remus who only shrugged. Dumbledore began to search the drawers for something.

"I know it's here somewhere," Dumbledore muttered. "Ah! Here it is."

The old wizard pulled out a long gray box. He turned back to the others and smiled at Sirius.

"Just after you were arrested," he began, "I took the liberty of having a good friend retrieve this for me. At the time, I merely thought it should have been kept for evidence rather than being snapped in half, as is Ministry guidelines. But now, I believe it's time that it is returned to its rightful owner."

Dumbledore held out the mysterious box for Sirius to take. He thought he had an idea of what it could be... _No, there's no possible way_, he thought.

Once he removed the cover of the box, his eyes grew wide as saucers, and he let out a short laugh in amazement. In the box sat a twelve-inch tube of wood. Mahogany. The core of the tube was dragon heartstring.

It was a wand. But not just any wand... Sirius Black's wand.

Sirius removed the wand—_his_ wand—from the box and held it tightly in his right hand. Instantly, he felt a warmness he hadn't felt since he was eleven years old. It was the feeling of a wand welcoming back its owner.

Sirius looked at Dumbledore in complete disbelief. "H-how?" he managed to ask.

Dumbledore chuckled and sat back down. "Let's just say old Alastor Moody isn't as useless as the Ministry seems to think he is." That twinkle was looking very mischievous at the moment.

Sirius and Remus both laughed. Even McGonagall seemed impressed that Albus Dumbledore—though the greatest wizard in centuries—had managed to come into possession of the wand of the country's most feared convicts.

Once it seemed that Sirius had gotten over the initial shock, Dumbledore spoke again. "Well, it is getting quite late. And if I am correct, the two of you have yet to eat anything this evening. So why don't you head down to the kitchens—I daresay you know where they are located—" Those blue eyes sparkled still. "—and have a bite to eat. You, of course, will be more than welcome to stay the night in the castle if you wish."

Dumbledore stood, and, following his example, McGonagall, Sirius, and Remus did as well. Sirius shook Dumbledore's hand. "Thank you, sir, for everything you've done today," he said sincerely.

Dumbledore inclined his head. "This should have never happened, Sirius. I give you my deepest apologies, once again."

Sirius smiled at the headmaster. "Thank you, sir."

Remus shook his hand next. "I'd like to thank you as well, sir. And I believe we will be taking you up on staying the night."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I will have a house-elf set a room up for the both of you."

Remus and Sirius nodded their thanks and headed for the door. Remus' hand was turning the doorknob when a thought popped into Sirius' head.

He turned back to Dumbledore with a look of anxious curiosity. "Professor, what about—I mean, I know I just came back today, and all—but what about Harry, sir?"

Remus quickly released the doorknob and turned around to hear the Headmaster's reply.

"Ah yes, young Harry Potter." The twinkling in his eyes was hypnotizing. "I wondered when you would inquire about him, Sirius."


	7. Seven

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Seven_

Wormtail couldn't believe his luck. He'd been traveling for less than three days and had somehow made it to London. As he scuttled around side streets and alleyways, Wormtail went over his plan once more.

It was perfect.

Not one thing could go wrong now.

It seemed to Wormtail that Remus had actually taken his little visit as a dream, after all. Otherwise, Aurors would be swooping down on him at that very moment as he munched on a stale piece of bread found in the dumpster he currently inhabited.

It may have been easier to have just wiped Remus' memory with his, Remus', wand—it'd been sitting right there on the bedside table. But Wormtail hadn't even considered it. The Animagus finished his less than satisfactory meal, jumped from his dumpster, and scampered in the direction of Little Whinging, Surrey.

With the way things were going, Wormtail would have the boy in his grasp in less than a week.

Scurrying away from the dumpster, Wormtail didn't see a woman—a witch to be precise—walk past and throw in a day-old copy of the _Daily Prophet_. If he had, he probably would have forgotten the entire plan. On the front page of the paper was a picture of Sirius Black laughing maniacally at the morning sky.

* * *

The sun was rising over the castle that was Hogwarts. By the looks of it, the day was going to be magnificent. The giant squid in the lake had surfaced, splashing water onto the shore at Fang, the gamekeeper's large boarhound.

Inside the castle, professors who had stayed after the students left for the summer holidays began to rise and head to the Great Hall. They all had the same exact thing on their minds: Sirius Black.

The entire staff had read the _Prophet_ the evening before, and all wanted to ask Dumbledore if it was really true, whether Sirius Black was truly innocent. Many of them remembered Black from his school days at Hogwarts. Who could forget him? Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew served at least one detention with every professor in the school at least once a week. And that was when they were behaving.

Now they needed answers. And who better to get answers from than Albus Dumbledore?

Meanwhile, down in the kitchens at a small table in a corner, two men lay with their heads buried in their arms—they were fast asleep. The two former Gryffindors were among favorites of the house-elves at Hogwarts. In their school days, once they'd located the kitchens behind the painting of the fruit basket, they rarely ever left. Many times, those two men—along with their two other friends—would skip meals in the Great Hall to visit the over ecstatic house-elves.

The night before, they had arrived in the company of Headmaster Dumbledore. The three wizards were discussing matters of the utmost importance, and were treated to a feast of sweets and drinks from the elves. After an hour or so, the headmaster left to return to his office, while the other two—Sirius Black and Remus Lupin—remained.

The topic of discussion between headmaster and former students was Harry Potter—the Boy-Who-Lived.

Since Sirius was the child's legal guardian, Dumbledore could find no reason to refuse Sirius' request of custody. That was not for lack of trying, though. The headmaster had been most concerned with Harry's safety outside the sanctuary of his mother's blood. But both Sirius and Remus argued that they were full grown wizards and were more than capable of keeping a child safe. Both would rather have died than to allow anything to happen to Lily and James' only child. Both had loved the child since the moment they set eyes on him. Both were more than willing to give up their daily lives—though Sirius hadn't had a daily life in nearly five years—to take care young Harry Potter.

Dumbledore's last hope was the Ministry of Magic. Surely they would side with him over Harry Potter's safety. So Dumbledore painfully told the younger wizards that the Ministry would probably fight the custody to the death.

Sirius merely scoffed. "They'll want to bend over backwards after what they did to me," he'd said.

If one thing had never changed about Sirius Black, it was that he remained stubborn when he got an idea in his head. This led to many of his nine hundred detentions in Hogwarts—a record Sirius was very proud to hold, by the way.

So, with that, Albus Dumbledore let all arguments drop.

Now, don't get me wrong! It's not that Dumbledore didn't want Harry to live with his godfather, per se. It was more of an issue of security. Albus Dumbledore was as obsessed with security as he was about lemon drops. But the old man was not stupid—far from it actually. He knew what it would mean to Sirius to have Harry live with him, and he was sure that Harry would have been immensely pleased, as well.

That is why, in the end, Dumbledore agreed to Sirius Black taking custody of Harry James Potter. There were a few conditions, however.

Firstly, Dumbledore wanted to wait one week before Harry left his aunt and uncle's home. This was to allow the newly-released Sirius time to get reacquainted with the world, as well as to take care of his personal business. A place to live was not an issue; Remus insisted on having his best friend and surrogate godson live with him for as long as needed. Sirius, of course, agreed to this.

Secondly, since Sirius and Harry would be staying with Remus, wards and charms needed to be placed around the area surrounding Remus' home. Dumbledore and Alastor Moody would be securing the property, personally. If there was one person more concerned with security (and I use the word "concerned" lightly) it was Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody.

Lastly, they would need to be absolutely positive that the majority of the wizarding community was not aware of Harry's change in residence. At the moment, reporters from the _Daily Prophet_ and other wizarding publications were practically beating down the doors to Hogwarts castle to get to Sirius. And to bring Harry Potter into the mix would not be wise. In time, it would be known that Harry would be in Sirius' custody—it would be inevitable. And besides, it wasn't as if Dumbledore was going to lock Sirius and Harry in a house day in and day out. But before that day, the world needed to get used to having Sirius Black back.

All in all, the conditions were not too bad for Sirius. Though he was more than a little tempted to jump on the Knight Bus and go to Number Four, Privet Drive right that moment—Remus and Dumbledore squashed that plan before it was all the way out of Sirius' mouth.

Coming back to the present time, the two Marauders were still sleeping soundly at the small table. Sirius' mouth was wide open, and he had a small puddle of drool forming under his face. Remus' face was dry, but he was snoring quite loudly.

A small poke in the side quickly jolted the werewolf from his slumber. Remus looked down at knee level to find a house-elf (a male by the name of Sketch) looking at him with wide, apprehensive, yellow eyes.

"Sketch is sorry to wake you, sir," the house-elf said. "But Headmaster Dumbledore wants sirs to join him in the Great Hall, sir."

Remus blinked, trying to awaken himself. "Oh, okay," he said with a yawn. "Please tell the Headmaster we will join him just as soon as I rouse my friend here."

The house-elf smiled widely, bowed low, and disappeared with a low _crack_.

Remus stared at the spot the house-elf had been for a moment. He looked across the table at Sirius' sleeping form and had to try hard to keep himself from laughing at the sight. One arm was stretched across the table with his head laying on it, and the other was hanging limply at his side.

When they had arrived at Hogwarts last night, Dumbledore kindly suggested that Sirius should have a shower and change in to some fresh robes before they began their discussions. Once Sirius stepped out of the shower nearly forty-five minutes later, a group of five house-elves pounced on him. By the time they'd finished, Sirius was clean shaven and his hair was cut just above his shoulders, rather than to his elbows.

Remus thought he looked much better afterwards, though he was still unhealthily thin. _The house-elves will take care of that,_ he thought. Madam Pomfrey checked Sirius physical health, fed him at least a hundred Chocolate Frogs, and sent him on his way.

One thing Remus couldn't seem to get past—besides the whole Sirius innocent/Wormtail traitor thing—was Sirius' eyes; they were so dead. It didn't help matters that Sirius was pale as a sheet, as well. If Remus didn't know any better, he would say Sirius was a vampire.

_It will get better with time,_ Remus assured himself. He had to continually remind himself that Sirius had spent five years in Azkaban. Remus could barely handle half a day in the place, let alone 1800 days.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Remus tried to wake Sirius. "Sirius," he whispered.

Nothing. Remus shook him slightly. "Sirius!" he said a little louder.

Still nothing. "Oy! Padfoot! Get up!"

Not a damn thing.

With an irritated yet amused sigh, Remus turned around to find a giggling house-elf holding up a bucket of ice cold water. Recalling his Hogwarts days, Remus grinned mischievously and took the bucket from the house-elf. He turned back to Sirius, rolling his eyes at his own childishness, and dumped the entire bucket on Sirius' sleeping head.

The Animagus jumped significantly, nearly falling off his chair. Sorry, did I say nearly? I meant that Sirius fell sideways off the wooden chair, landing on the cold floor with a _thud. _

It took him a minute to realize what had happened. He looked up through sopping hair to find Remus Lupin—former Prefect and all-around good boy, the most responsible and sensible of the four Marauders—doubled over, laughing hysterically. The empty water bucket lay forgotten at his feet.

Sirius glared at his friend for a moment, but soon he was laughing as well. Once the two twenty-six-year-olds managed to calm down a bit, Remus performed a drying spell on the now shivering Sirius.

"Merlin, I haven't laughed like that in _years_!" Remus said, still sniggering.

Sirius snorted. "I haven't laughed _period_ in years." All humor had gone in an instant. Sirius hadn't meant to kill the mood, it just happened. It left Remus feeling guilty and Sirius feeling depressed and angry at his Azkaban memories.

After a moment of brooding silence, Remus stood. "Dumbledore wants us in the Great Hall for breakfast," he said quietly.

Sirius nodded and followed Remus out of the kitchens and through the corridors. After a ten minute walk, they had arrived at the Great Hall. The enormous golden doors were left wide open, allowing the voices of Hogwarts' staff to carry through.

"Are you _mad, _Albus?" asked Professor Sprout. Sirius and Remus had never heard anyone—besides McGonagall, at times—speak to the Headmaster in such a harsh, sharp tone. And they had never heard Sprout speak to _anyone_ in that way. "A convicted murderer, in this castle?"

It was more than obvious what they were discussing this morning. Remus cast a wary glance at Sirius as the latter heaved a heavy sigh.

"I assure you, my dear Pomona, that my mind is in perfect working order," came Dumbledore's calm, yet firm voice. "Sirius Black is one-hundred percent innocent, and has been so since his capture." Dumbledore looked away from the Herbology professor and spotted Sirius and Remus lurking in the shadows of the hall doors. "Ah, good morning, boys! I wondered whether or not I should send out a search party for the two of you. Come, have some breakfast; the porridge is simply delightful."

You couldn't cut the tension in the hall with a chainsaw as the entire staff was alerted to the newcomers. Many faces housed shock and disbelief. A few—okay, it was only Hagrid—simply beamed at Sirius with tears in his eyes. The pair made their way to the staff table where Dumbledore conjured two chairs between himself and McGonagall.

The silence in the hall was unbearable for Sirius. He didn't like how everyone kept staring at him as if he were about to cast the Killing Curse on them all right then and there. He ignored their horrified glances and anxious whispers, and began scooping breakfast onto his plate.

Remus glanced at Sirius and he, too, began to eat. As he put a fork full of eggs in his mouth, Remus chanced a look around the staff table. All but McGonagall and Dumbledore stared at Sirius. He wished, for the sake of his friend's remaining sanity, they would just finish their meals and leave.

As if he were reading Remus' mind, Dumbledore also looked around at the staff table with a frown. He cleared his throat loudly, calling everyone's attention to himself. "If you don't continue with your meals," he began, "we will have a few disgruntled and insulted house-elves on our hands." There was no twinkle in his blue eyes at the moment. The entire staff knew what he had really meant to say: Stop gawking at Sirius like bloody idiots and finish your damn food. But we all know that Dumbledore is far too polite to actually say this. Needless to say, they understood the meaning and continued their meals.

While Sirius avoided eye contact with anyone in the Great Hall, Remus and Dumbledore were caught up discussing plans to visit Diagon Alley later in the day.

Soon enough, to Sirius' immense relief, the Hogwarts staff finished their meals and took their leave. A few of Sirius' former professors passed him, offering their congratulations in nervous voices. Sirius thanked them quietly but gratefully. Hagrid rose from his chair and made his way to the center of the table where Sirius sat a short time later.

"Knew it couldn' a bin ya, Sirius. Knew you wasn't all that bad!" The half-giant patted Sirius on his shoulders, forcing him face first into his plate of eggs.

Remus and Dumbledore held back their laughter as Sirius sat back up with scrambled eggs in his hair and covering his face. Sirius thanked Hagrid and watched him walk out of the Great Hall.

An hour later, the Great Hall was empty save for Remus, Sirius, Dumbledore, and McGonagall.

"Well, that could have much worse," Remus commented. He seemed surprised by the (nearly) pleasant welcome Sirius received.

Sirius, whose mouth was full of pancake, nodded. He was reaching for his glass of pumpkin juice when a dark figure strode into the Great Hall. Sirius' hand stopped halfway to the glass and instead moved instinctively to where his wand was in his robes.

For a few moments, Sirius Black and Severus Snape glared at one another with the utmost loathing; hatred radiated between the two enemies. But neither made a move or said a single word. Both seemed to have forgotten there were others in the hall.

Remus looked between the two, waiting to break it up if it got too bad. He didn't feel quite as strongly towards Snape as Sirius, but he didn't want to see his friend end up in Azkaban after less than a day of being free. However, there was no need for worry; after nearly five minutes, Snape turned on his heel and strode quickly back to his potions dungeon without a word to anyone.

Remus let out a noticeable sigh of relief; Sirius continued eating as if nothing had even occurred.

As Sirius and Remus walked to the quarters Dumbledore had setup for them fifteen minutes later, Sirius said, "It's good to know that even after five years some things never change."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

"Snivelly is still a greasy-haired git."

"Actually, Padfoot, that has changed. Snivelly is now a greasy-haired _professor._"

"Same difference."


	8. Eight

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Eight_

The wizarding world had never heard of anything like it: an innocent man sentenced to Azkaban while the real murderer, traitor, and Death Eater walked free. Many wondered how this sort of thing was _allowed_ to happen. The answer was simple if you knew where to look: Barty Crouch and Cornelius Fudge. Between the two of them, an innocent man was condemned to Azkaban for five years. An innocent life, ruined.

Crouch was already looked down upon by the wizarding community after his own son was convicted of being a Death Eater; convicted of aiding in the torture of Alice and Frank Longbottom; convicted of seeking out He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named with the goal of returning him to power.

Cornelius Fudge was a different story.

The majority of the magical community was calling for Fudge to be sacked as Minister of Magic. They felt that he was responsible (though he had not been in office at the time) for allowing Crouch to throw accused men and women to the dementors without so much a trial.

The _Daily Prophet_ had been running numerous articles covering the matter. Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was a top candidate for the position (though, he had stated on many occasions that he wished to remain at Hogwarts, and he had no desire to seek a political position... ever), as was Amelia Bones—the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

After a meeting between the Wizengamot, the Wizarding High Court, it was decided that an election would take place at the beginning of August. This would give potential candidates time enough to rally support.

One rumored candidate for Minister of Magic was Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy, who had denied having any support for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was a highly respected figure in the wizarding world. His family was one of the oldest pureblood families in Europe. (They could trace their pureblood back before time, thank you very much.) Lucius Malfoy was ruthless, powerful, and he had friends in all the places that truly counted. Most respected him purely out of fear—the Malfoys were the wealthiest, and at times, the most vicious, pureblood families around.

The Blacks, another wealthy pureblood family, were just as respected and feared in their day. However, once Walburga Black died earlier that year, her eldest son was left as the lone heir to the Black throne. Sirius Black is, of course, the wrongly-accused-but-recently-released prisoner of Azkaban. He was set to inherit an undisclosed amount of gold from the Black family vault in Gringotts, as well as the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black itself. Along with the money he'd received from the Ministry upon his release, and a large inheritance from a great uncle, Sirius Black was now one of the wealthiest men in Britain—second only to Lucius Malfoy.

Rumors had been flying around Black for the past week. Some of them were completely bizarre, and some were not.

Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody— Head of the Auror squads—was to retire at the end of the year. It was rumored he had recommended Black for the job. Before his arrest, Black was one of the top Aurors of his class—he was tied with James Potter. Many thought Black would make a good replacement for Moody, since Moody was becoming a bit paranoid in his old age.

It was also rumored that Black himself was going to run for Minister of Magic. "The person who came up with this rubbish should be thrown to the Hogwarts giant squid," was the direct quote from Sirius Black.

Only one of the many rumors floating around him seemed to have any ounce of truth to it: Sirius Black was going to obtain custody of Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Now, how this reached outside ears was anybody's guess; Albus Dumbledore, Black, and Black's childhood friend, Remus Lupin, were the only ones who were to know about this.

Regardless, reporters from the _Prophet_ and a number of other wizarding publications were once again knocking down the Hogwarts doors to get a word of confirmation from Dumbledore or Black. They were highly disappointed, however, when they realized that Rubeus Hagrid had been posing as Black's bodyguard to ward the reporters away. Fang the boarhound found much entertainment in chasing reporters from the grounds, where they Apparated back to their offices.

On a reporter-free Wednesday afternoon a week after Sirius' release, he and Remus were enjoying the warm summer weather on Hogwarts' beautiful grounds. All week long, the two had been in meetings with Dumbledore to discuss the custody of Harry Potter.

Dumbledore's plan was to have Sirius and Remus Apparate to Arabella Figg's home. Arabella was a Squib neighbor of Harry's, as well as a longtime friend of Dumbledore's. Dumbledore asked Arabella to live on Privet Drive in order to further ensure Harry's safety. Once at Arabella's home, Remus and Sirius would go to Number Four, retrieve Harry, return to Arabella's where a portkey would be waiting, and arrive safely back at Hogwarts.

Pretty simple, right?

The plan was incredibly straight forward, and with two full grown wizards, it would succeed without a single predicament.

Right?

Right.

Another issue that had been dealt with was Remus' Lycanthropy. A new discovery had recently been made by various healers at St. Mungo's. The Wolfsbane Potion had the power to give a werewolf a certain amount of control over its mind during a full moon. Many were still highly skeptical, but Remus would take what he could get. Harry would be taken to Hogwarts by Sirius on the full moon, anyway, but in Remus' mind, it was a definite plus to have control over his actions.

Walking across Hogwarts grounds, Remus watched as Sirius flopped down rather unceremoniously under a familiar beech tree that the Marauders frequented in their school days. With a smile, Remus sat next to him and gave his old friend a thoughtful look. Over the last few days, they had gotten accustomed to each other's presence and personalities once more. They had also discussed the things both had hid from the other over the past many years.

Sirius admitted to the reason he had suspected Remus being the spy: Voldemort had been gathering various dark creatures on his side for some time. Werewolves were among the number in later years. Sirius came to his own conclusion that Remus had been a servant of Voldemort after he noticed Remus would disappear for long periods of time. It turned out, as Remus had explained, that he was actually on undercover missions for Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix.

Remus' reasoning of Sirius being the spy was that while on one of these undercover missions, he overheard Death Eaters discussing a Black that had been recently recruited into their ranks. This Black was a very valuable asset to Voldemort, and would cause a substantial problem for Dumbledore and his supporters. This, of course, was Regulus Black, Sirius' younger brother. Regulus was killed for unknown reasons shortly before Voldemort's disappearance.

After this conversation, things made much more sense to both men.

So things were finally settling down between the two. They were able to be more open with each other now that they had discussed what had caused many problems between the Marauders all those years ago.

Looking at Sirius, Remus noticed he still had that deadened look in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a look of pure joy and love whenever Harry was discussed. Remus hoped Harry could help Sirius get beyond his time in Azkaban.

"So how are you, Sirius?" Remus asked, looking out at the lake.

Sirius, it seemed, was deep in thought; he jumped when Remus spoke. "Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Remus shrugged. "Curiosity. You just seem quiet this afternoon."

"Just thinking," Sirius replied with a sigh. "Trying to get used to being outside again..."

Sirius turned around and looked longingly at the Quidditch pitch. Remus followed his line of sight and felt himself smile. "You know, Padfoot," Remus began, "I'm sure the new flying instructor—Hooch, I think her name is—would allow you to borrow a broom from the broomshed if you want to fly."

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "Are you kidding me? Moony, I haven't flown since we left school; I'd probably end up falling off and breaking my neck or something."

"Ha! Since when has Sirius Black been worried about falling off a broom? I seem to remember a certain play you made back in sixth year when you jumped off your broom—fifty feet in the air, mind you—just to hit a Bludger out of James' way so that he could score."

Sirius laughed. "Yeah, well, the good news was that we won the Cup. The bad news was that I spent a week in the hospital wing."

Remus shook his head and laughed. "You two were complete idiots when it came to Quidditch; anything for a win."

"Oi! Hang on just one second! _I_ seem to remember a certain werewolf storming the field in fifth year when our Seeker was fouled and there wasn't a call made on it!"

"I have no idea what you are referring to, Padfoot," Remus replied with an innocent look.

Sirius smiled, rolled his eyes, and looked out at the lake. The giant squid was doing a backstroke, trying to reach a bird that was just above him, just out of reach of his tentacles.

Sirius and Remus sat in comfortable silence for a few moments recalling their school days.

"You know, Remus, having Harry around again is going to be great. We can show him how to be the greatest Marauder ever. And, of course, he's going to be a star Quidditch player—just like Prongs." He paused. "I wonder what ever happened to the Invisibility Cloak..."

Remus smiled sadly. "No idea. I went to Godric's Hollow a few days after—it happened—and I was able to save a few things—photos and the like—but I didn't see the cloak."

Sirius nodded slightly, unwilling to go into the subject of Godric's Hollow just yet. "Maybe Dumbledore has an idea of where it might be. It'd be great having the cloak again." Remus smiled and nodded. "You reckon Filchy still has the map?"

"Probably. I doubt old Filchy throws anything he confiscates away. Hopefully, he isn't smart enough to figure out how to work it."

"Nah, he's a Squib; he'd never be able to work it even if he _did _have a wand." Sirius stopped in thoughtful silence. "You reckon we could get it back?"

"What? The map?" Sirius nodded. Remus raised his eyebrows skeptically. "You mean steal the map? From Argus Filch's office? Are you mad?"

"Most likely, yes. But you can't say you wouldn't want the map back—after all the work we put into it... perfecting it. It was our _baby_, Moony."

"Sirius," Remus said as if talking to a child, "even if we were to _somehow_ get into Filch's office with that damn cat sneaking around, what use would the map be to us now; we're out of school, and we have been for some time."

"I know, but... we could give it to Harry when he starts Hogwarts."

Remus rolled his eyes humorously. "You're going to turn that boy into McGonagall's worst nightmare, aren't you?"

"Absolutely! Somebody's got to take up Minnie's free time in detention. And who better to do it than Prongs Junior?" Sirius looked at Remus with puppy dog eyes. "Come on, Moony. The Marauders' Map is a part of our history! A part of the best years of our lives! How can you just let it sit in some dusty cabinet in Filch's office? Don't you want it back... just a little bit?"

Remus tried to hold back a smile at the look on Sirius' face; it was so pitiful. He failed miserably. "Okay, I'm in. But let's wait a while; we've got enough to think about right now."

Sirius grinned, dropping the sad puppy look. "See! I knew you still had the Marauder spirit in you, Moony!" Remus laughed as Sirius slapped him on the back and stood up. "Now, let's go get some brooms and go for a fly!"

Remus stood, and had to jog to keep up with Sirius' eagerness to get in the air once again.

The two wizards flew late into the night. Sirius decided he wanted to play a game, so Remus took up the position of Keeper, while Sirius played Chaser. They charmed a Bludger to chase Sirius so it wouldn't be too easy.

By the end of the night, though exceptionally tired, the two laughed and recalled excellent saves and scores as they went back to their temporary quarters in the castle. Both were feeling better than they had in years. And tomorrow, they would be reunited with Harry.

Yes, things were looking hopeful for the remaining Marauders. And with a little luck, things would stay that way.


	9. Nine

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Nine_

Perfectly Normal.

This is the best way to describe Privet Drive: perfectly normal.

It was a sight you would find in some strange horror story; everything from the sidewalks to the driveways, from the houses to the trees, and even the people, was perfectly normal.

Eerie...

And this was the way the inhabitants of Privet Drive preferred it. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened here… Everything was perfectly normal...

That is, unless you happened to look inside Number Four. Vernon and Petunia Dursley were obsessed with keeping their lives as normal as possible. Vernon worked for Grunnings Drill Company, whilst Petunia played perfect little house wife. Their son, Dudley, was as normal as a child of those two could possibly be. Vernon and Petunia thought he was perfect.

There was one secret, however, that kept the Dursleys from living their perfect, normal lives. Nearly five years previous, a baby was left on the Dursleys' doorstep. He was the son of Petunia's sister, Lily, and though Petunia hadn't spoken with her sister in years, the little boy was left with a note from some man called Albus Dumbledore. The note explained to the Dursleys that they were now the child's only living relatives; that his parents were murdered the night before by some other man called Lord Voldemort; that the Dursleys would have to take the boy in for his protection.

If they had wanted to send him back, they couldn't; once Petunia had taken the boy over the threshold of her home, their fate was sealed. They would have to keep him.

So the Dursleys had an addition to their family—though you wouldn't know it by looking at the family photos on the walls. The Dursleys preferred to pretend that little Harry Potter did not exist; it made their lives easier.

They believed they were doing Harry a considerable kindness by taking him in, giving him Dudley's old clothes (which looked like parachutes on the small boy), feeding him once or twice a day (if he "behaved"), and allowing him to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs.

Harry was forced to repay this _kindness_ by doing chores around the house. Not small chores, mind you. He was forced to mow the lawn, do the dishes, make beds, scrub floors, and whatever else the Dursleys could think of. Petunia had recently begun teaching the five-year-old how to cook.

Harry's life was far from easy. Actually, it was pure hell; when he wasn't doing chores for his relatives—when he was allowed to go outside—he was being chased by his pig of a cousin and his best friend, Piers Polkiss. In fact, currently Harry was hiding behind a tree, hoping it was concealing his small frame from Dudley and Piers. The two troublemakers had recently discovered a game they had dubbed "Harry Hunting." They loved it; Harry hated it. The object of the "game" was for Harry to run, Dudley and Piers to find him, taunt him relentlessly about his "weirdness," and maybe get a punch or two in before lunch.

Harry hoped something would distract them so he could run to the nearby park.

And, as if answering his prayers, a distraction came. It was in the form of a fat rat with a bald tail, and it had come from some bushes across from Harry's hiding spot. The rat dashed through the grass and was heading directly for Harry. But before it could make it, Dudley pointed it out to Piers and the two began to chase the rat on their bicycles. Harry watched as the rat darted around the wheels, trying to avoid becoming road kill, but Harry couldn't help feeling grateful for the rat's timing; Dudley and Piers had only been feet away from Harry's tree.

While they were distracted, Harry ran from where he had been hiding for the past thirty minutes in the direction of the park. He passed Mrs. Figg's house where he got the distinct impression of being watched. He shrugged it off as he finally made it to the park.

Today it seemed pretty full with parents playing with their children. Harry sat on a swing, shuffling his feet in the sand, watching them sadly; he wished someone would push _him _on the swing…

Harry's Aunt Petunia had told him last year that his parents were killed in a car crash. This car crash had also resulted with the lightning bolt-shaped scar Harry had on his forehead. Then she told him to stop asking questions. Often, Harry had dreams of what could have only been the car crash: bright green lights and sinister laughing—though the laughing made no sense. Recently, Harry had started dreaming of an enormous flying motorcycle, big black dogs, wolves, and a dark-colored stag, but he never understood these things either. For as long as he could remember—mostly when Uncle Vernon punished him for being a "freak"—Harry would dream of some unknown relative coming to take him away from Privet Drive. But that could never happen...

Harry's stomach rumbled loudly signaling it was time to go make Dudley's lunch—another chore Petunia saved for the five-year-old. With a final push on his swing, Harry jumped off and headed back to Number Four (he never considered it "home"). He passed Mrs. Figg's again—three cats sitting on the porch followed him with their eyes—crossed the street and walked up the driveway.

It seemed Dudley and Piers had quickly lost interest in the rat (Harry made a mental note to look for it later, just to make sure it was even still alive), and had gone in for lunch. Harry opened the door to the house, and walked to the kitchen. The living room television was turned up deafeningly loud with Dudley's favorite cartoon. Harry enjoyed it too, when he was allowed to watch.

Aunt Petunia was at the kitchen counter making Dudley's plate of a large ham and mayonnaise sandwich and a generous amount of potato crisps. She turned with the plate and spotted Harry. "You're late, boy. Dudley had to wait for his lunch, because you couldn't be bothered being on time," she sneered.

Harry gulped. "Sorry, Aunt Petunia," he mumbled meekly.

"I made your lunch since I had to make Dudley's; it's on the counter." She said this in a way that suggested she had done Harry a great service. Aunt Petunia sat the plate in front of Dudley and ran her hand fondly through his blond hair. She then turned back to Harry. "And don't make a mess this time or it's to the shed for the rest of the afternoon."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia."

His lunch, which consisted of a stale piece of bread, folded over old cheese and dried carrot sticks sitting not on a plate, but a napkin, was indeed on the counter. Harry sighed at his meal—this was a new low—and walked to the kitchen table. He sat in a chair farthest away from Dudley as to not attract any attention to himself. Dudley, however, was occupied with the television in the living room, and didn't even notice the mayonnaise dripping from one of his many chins.

"When you're finished," Aunt Petunia said as Harry began munching on his pathetic lunch, "you're to get the weeds out of that garden; their getting out of control. And after that, you need to vacuum upstairs, and scrub the kitchen floor. And don't make me have to send you back a second time to do it. Do you understand me, boy?"

Harry nodded timidly. "Yes, Aunt Petunia."

Once finished with his very unsatisfactory meal, Harry headed outside to weed the garden. For the thousandth time in his young life, Harry wondered what it would be like living anywhere else, with people who actually cared about him...

* * *

Down the road at Arabella Figg's home, two such people appeared out of thin air in the backyard.

"Surprised I didn't splinch myself after not doing that for so long," Sirius Black commented.

His accomplice, better known as Remus Lupin, chuckled. "Yes, that would have made a fine sight, Padfoot. The Ministry having to unsplinch Sirius Black, infamous mad mass murderer. That would have made a lovely sight."

"Shut up, Moony," Sirius mock-growled. Remus began to retort, but a voice from the back porch cut him off.

"It's about time the two of you showed up!"

Sirius smiled widely. "Figgy! Smashing to see you again, old girl! How are you?"

Arabella Figg stood with her gray hair in an old hair net, wearing an old green flowered dress, her hands on her hips.

"Good afternoon, Arabella. How are you today?" Remus asked with a slight bow.

Arabella rolled her eyes, but smiled at the two wizards. "Just fine, just fine. Come in, we need to get this over with before that oaf Vernon Dursley gets home from work. It'll be bad enough having to deal with Petunia."

Sirius snorted. "Don't worry about darling Petunia, Figgy. Leave her to us..."

Arabella glared at Sirius. "Black, I've told you and Mundungus Fletcher to _stop calling me Figgy_!"

Sirius walked up the porch and wrapped Arabella in a hug. "You know you love us," he whispered, "Figgy."

Arabella whacked Sirius with a small bag that sounded like cat litter, and Remus had to try hard to hold back his laughter.

"Remus, you wipe that grin off your face and give me a damn hug; I haven't seen you in ages," Arabella said. Remus smiled and hugged Arabella. "Now then, inside with the both of you. And transfigure those robes into Muggle clothing—you don't want any extra attention in this neighborhood."

Sirius and Remus exchanged an amused look at their former fellow Order of the Phoenix member and followed. Arabella led them through the cabbage smelling house to the kitchen. Four or five cats hissed at the men and fled from the room.

"Don't know what's gotten into them... never done that before..." Arabella muttered. Remus and Sirius exchanged smirks.

"Sit, sit, sit," Arabella continued. The three sat around the small oak kitchen table. "Well, then. First, Sirius, welcome back. I know you've probably heard that a million times in the past week, but there you go." Sirius could only smile in thanks before Arabella plowed on. "Now. Dumbledore told me, of course, why you're here. And I have to tell you, it's about damn time somebody's finally doing it."

Sirius and Remus raised their eyebrows simultaneously.

"That boy is the most wonderful thing in this world, and that bloody family is horrible to him. That boy stays there, he's gonna be a right mess by the time he goes to Hogwarts." Before either man could question what she was talking about, Arabella rambled on. "Five years old! That child is _five years old_ and that horse and oaf that call themselves people work him to death! I see him digging in that bloody garden during hundred degree weather! Mowing the lawn while all those other children get to play outside. And that pig of a son they have! Struttin' around here as if he's Minister of Magic, pushing smaller children around. And what do the parents do? Not a damn thing! They think he's the best thing since Quidditch!"

When Arabella finished her speech, Sirius and Remus were torn between anger at the way she said Harry was treated, and fear of the very livid old woman. Remus was the only one with enough courage to stop her rant. "Er, Arabella?" he said fearfully.

"What?" she said breathlessly. She'd obviously been holding this in for a while...

Remus gulped. "Er, maybe... we should go get Harry now..."

Arabella deflated significantly and blinked away her anger. "Oh. Right. Harry. Yes, let's get you two going then." She stood and walked out of the kitchen. "And change those clothes! I told you before!"

Remus and Sirius transfigured their robes into jeans and t-shirts, and stuck their wands in their back pockets, just in case.

Arabella walked them to the porch and pointed. "There. Number Four." Remus and Sirius stayed where they were. "Well, get going, then! I'll be back inside; Dumbledore's sending a portkey." She walked back in the house and slammed the door. Both Sirius and Remus jumped and winced.

The two walked to the front door of Number Four, Privet Drive and stared.

Sirius smiled. "Ah! Just the way I remember it," he said. "Except colorless and egg-less. Brings down the décor if you ask me..." Remus laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Harry is just behind this door, Moony," Sirius went on excitedly.

Remus grinned. "Yeah, I know." He stuck out an index finger and rang the doorbell.

They waited. A television was blaring from somewhere inside the house—it sounded like some sort of cartoon. Finally, after what seemed like hours to a very impatient Sirius Black, the door opened presenting Petunia Dursley just as Sirius and Remus remembered her: pursed lips, long giraffe neck, horse face and all.

"Can I help you?" she asked rudely.

Remus cleared his throat—it had already been agreed upon that Remus would deal with Petunia, since Sirius would just make things really bad. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Dursley. I doubt you remember us, but we were good friends with Lily."

Petunia's eyebrows rose into her blonde hair, and her mouth dropped open in realization. "You!" she hissed. "What are you people doing here?" She looked around the wizards as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping on them. Sirius and Remus looked around as well, confused.

"Er, yes, us people. Listen, Petunia," Sirius started, forgetting all about the agreement, "we're here for Harry. Where is he?"

Petunia drew up to her full height—which was still considerably shorter than the two men standing before her. "He's out back, weeding the garden," she said in a superior tone. It was Sirius' and Remus' turn to do the eyebrow raising.

"He's... weeding the garden?" Remus questioned unbelievingly.

"That's what I said."

Sirius looked at Remus quickly. He could tell his friend's temper was rising, though he was hiding it well. Sirius had a bit more trouble with that. "And why, exactly, is a five-year-old weeding the garden?" he asked through clenched teeth. He was trying to stay calm... really...

"That boy needs to be taught his _freakishness_ is not welcome here."

Sirius' face was steadily growing red. He heard Remus take in a deep calming breath.

"His... _freakishness_?" Remus asked in an oddly tense voice.

"That's right," Petunia replied snottily. "We took that _boy_ in after my freak—_sister—_and that good for nothing husband of hers went and got themselves—_blown up_. We said we'd stamp that _freakishness_ out of him, but the older he gets, the freakier he gets. You can take the boy, and may he never darken our doorstep again!"

This was too much... Petunia Dursley had just made the worst mistake she could think of making: she had insulted Remus and Sirius' family. She insulted the Potters. Nobody insulted the Potters.

Sirius whipped out his wand before he knew what he was doing, but Remus held his arm back. Sirius glanced at him confused for a second. This was before he saw the look on Remus' face; Sirius had never seen Remus so angry before... ever...

"Petunia. I am giving you three seconds to tell us where Harry is. Once those three seconds are over, my friend and I will not hesitate to curse you straight to hell," Remus said in a quiet voice through clenched teeth.

Petunia paled. She looked between the wand in Sirius' hand and Remus; it was hard to tell which she feared more. "He-he's in the b-backyard," she whispered quietly and fearfully.

Remus pushed past her, knocking her into the wall. Sirius, on the other hand, stayed where he was, glaring at Lily's sister. _How can this—_thing—_be Lily's sister? _he wondered.

"Sirius, come on," Remus said sternly.

Sirius looked from Petunia to his friend who had an unreadable expression on his face, nodded stiffly, and followed Remus, placing his wand back in his pocket. They walked through the immaculately clean living room finding a boy, who looked to be at least eight or nine due to his size, shoving a chocolate bar into his mouth. Remus shook his head.

_Disgusting,_ he thought, as the boy stared at the wizards stupidly.

The two found the kitchen, thus finding the door to the backyard. Through the window, they could clearly see a small boy with untidy black hair bent over in the garden. Both men felt their hearts drop into their stomachs.

_James' son... My best friend's son being used as a house-elf, _Remus thought.

_This is all my fault,_ Sirius thought.

"Come on, the sooner we get him out of here, the better," Remus said quietly. Sirius nodded silently.

They went out the backdoor slowly, and approached Harry's small, very thin, form.

"Harry?" Remus said quietly. Harry jumped and turned around. Sirius and Remus had to fight to keep their jaws dropping at the sight of his eyes—Lily's eyes...

Harry looked up at the two men standing over him. His pale face was sweaty and dirty from working in the garden, but fear was evident. He stayed crouched on the ground. Sirius and Remus knelt before him.

"Hello, Harry," Sirius said in a choked voice. It took all he had not to pick Harry up and hold him tightly for the rest of Sirius' life, but he resisted—Sirius didn't want to scare him.

Harry gulped. "H-hi," he said in a barely audible whisper.

Remus glanced at Sirius and back at the small boy. He tried to smile comfortingly, but was sure he failed miserably. "Harry, my name is Remus. This is my friend, Sirius. We are—er—_were _friends of your parents," Remus painfully corrected himself. He noticed Sirius wince next to him, but Harry didn't seem to notice anything odd about their behavior. He stared at Remus with wide eyes.

"You knew my parents?" he asked in an almost awed whisper.

Sirius smiled and nodded sadly. "Yes, we knew them." He couldn't stop looking into Harry's eyes.

"Harry," Remus began—they needed to get out of here soon, before one of them did something drastic to Mrs. Petunia Dursley. "We're here to take you away. Away from your Aunt and Uncle. Would you like to come with us?"

Harry's eyes widened even further, and his jaw dropped. Sirius and Remus watched for long—excruciatingly long—minutes, as Harry studied the two men, debating on what to do. Finally, he asked in an anxious whisper, "Go where?"

Remus smiled slightly. "Well, first we are going to go visit a friend of ours, and then we are going to go to Hogwarts. Do you know what Hogwarts is, Harry?"

Harry shook his head.

"Big surprise, there," Sirius muttered so that only Remus heard him.

Remus ignored him. "Hogwarts is our old school. That's where we met your mum and dad," he explained.

Harry nodded, still thinking. "Then where?" he asked in an even quieter voice than before.

"Then, we'll go to my home. Is that okay with you?"

Harry looked away from Remus and to the ground. His voice was so quiet this time, that if Remus and Sirius didn't the exceptional hearing they did, they would have missed it. "For how long?"

"Forever," Sirius replied immediately.

Harry looked up, and Remus could have sworn he saw a small smile on the child's face, but he could have been wrong. Harry's brow furrowed in thought for some more minutes. Finally, he nodded. Remus and Sirius had been studying Harry intently; otherwise they would have missed the answer.

Remus and Sirius smiled in both relief and complete happiness.

Remus stood, glancing at the expression on Sirius' face, and held out a hand to Harry. "Okay then, shall we go?"

Sirius stood and Harry followed, taking Remus' hand. Remus led the three of them back into the house, and into the kitchen. _Petunia must have taken her kid upstairs,_ he thought. _Good idea..._

Remus looked down at Harry who had stopped dead in his tracks, shaking, scanning the kitchen fearfully.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Remus asked, concerned.

Harry raised his head, his emerald green eyes wide and wet with tears. "I-I didn't finish the garden. Uncle Vernon'll be mad..." he trailed off.

"Don't you worry about him, Harry. You'll never have to see any of these people again. Okay?" Sirius said from behind Remus and Harry.

Harry turned around and gave him a small smile. Sirius smiled back reassuringly, taking Harry's other hand.

Remus smiled as well. "Okay, Harry, where's your bedroom? We'll get your things and go." Remus wasn't looking forward to going upstairs to where Petunia was, but they needed to get Harry's things.

Harry let go of their hands, and led them not to the stairs, but to a small cupboard _under_ the stairs. Remus and Sirius watched as Harry opened the door, walked in, and rummaged around inside. The two wizards exchanged a confused look.

"Er, Harry? What are you doing?" Remus asked.

Harry stuck his head out the door. "Getting my things," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why are your things in here, Harry?" Sirius asked, perplexed.

Harry had gone back to digging through the cupboard once more. "This is my room," was the response.

Sirius' temper began to rise again. Next to him, Remus closed his eyes tightly and shook his head in disbelief. They looked into the cupboard and saw a small cot covered with a single thin sheet, and a battered, dirty pillow at the head of the makeshift bed. Old clothes that were, obviously, not Harry's to begin with were strewn around it. Sirius breath was becoming raspy and fast. It wasn't much different from his cell in Azkaban: dark, musty, small, and dirty. Harry deserved so much better than this...

After a few more minutes, Remus and Sirius backed away from the cupboard as Harry emerged. He was carrying a pillowcase full of old clothes in one hand, and held gently in the other, was an old photograph.

"What's that, Harry?" Remus asked gently, gesturing to the photo.

Harry hesitated, but held the photo out to the two men. It was an old Muggle photo of a twelve-year-old redheaded, green-eyed girl. Remus and Sirius felt tears reach their eyes. "I... I'm not supposed to have it. I found it cleaning Aunt Petunia's room," Harry said quietly. "I thought it was pretty..." He looked between both men thinking he'd upset them.

Remus smiled. "It's okay, Harry. We have a lot more pictures of your mum, and your dad, if you'd like to see them." Harry gave them the biggest smile they had seen yet from him—which still wasn't much. "Come on," Remus continued, "we need to go."

Harry smiled and took Sirius' outstretched hand—Remus had taken the pillowcase full of clothes, but gave the photo back to Harry. The three left Number Four, Privet Drive and headed for Arabella's home.

Remus looked back and saw Petunia's bony face staring at them from an upstairs window. She disappeared the moment she saw Remus glaring back. Remus had to try hard not to take a leaf from Sirius' book and curse the Dursleys...

Finally, they arrived back at Arabella's house. The old woman was waiting on the front porch. She smiled at Harry. "Hello, Harry, how are you?" she asked.

Harry was obviously bewildered as to why they were visiting his babysitter's house, but he answered her dutifully, "Good, Mrs. Figg. How are you?"

"I am doing very well, Harry. Thank you for asking," she said kindly. Harry looked up at Remus and Sirius as Arabella addressed them. "Come inside. The portkey is here. Dumbledore wanted you back as soon as you got here."

Sirius led Harry through Arabella's home. "Wait here," Arabella said once they reached the living room. She walked into the kitchen briskly, and was back a second later holding a ceramic flowerpot. She handed it to Remus.

"It will activate in thirty seconds," Arabella informed them. Harry had no idea what she was talking about; what would activate? "You three take care now. I might come and visit some time."

"Thank you, Arabella," Remus said, smiling at the old woman. "Harry, I need you to put your hand on the flowerpot, okay?"

Harry nodded apprehensively, put his photo in his too big jeans, and placed his now free hand on the flowerpot.

Sirius said goodbye to Arabella and began the countdown for the portkey. "Ten... nine... eight... seven... hold on there, Harry... four... three... two... one..."

All three felt their feet fly from the floor with a jerk at their navels.

* * *

He'd been so close...

So close to having Harry Potter in his hands…

So close to becoming the most revered Death Eater ever.

But now... everything was ruined.

Wormtail stood behind a bush, just feet away from where the boy was moments ago. But he hesitated. _Why_ did he have to hesitate?

He'd almost transformed and grabbed Harry the moment the backdoor opened and they walked outside. It would have been too late, though. Not only would he not have the boy, but he was more than positive Sirius and Remus would have killedhim on the spot. If he would have only taken the boy the moment he'd come out to the garden, everything would have worked out perfectly. But he hesitated.

_Dammit,_ Wormtail thought angrily.

Still in his rat form, Wormtail hurried through Privet Drive back in the direction of London.

He was going to see Lucius Malfoy...


	10. Ten

**Disclaimer:** While anything you recognize may belong to JK Rowling, I take credit for Professor Potato Head.

* * *

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Ten_

Three pairs of feet slammed onto the floor of Albus Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster looked up just in time to see Sirius catch a small boy—_that could only be Harry; he looks exactly like James,_ he thought with a smile—before he fell face first onto the wooden floor.

Harry looked up at Sirius and asked in a small, almost fearful voice, "What was that?"

Sirius grinned as he set Harry back on his feet. "That, Harry, was magic!"

Harry dropped Sirius' gaze and looked to his shoes. "No such thing as magic..." he muttered.

Remus knelt down beside him with a small frown. "Sure there is, Harry," he said. "Who told you there was no such thing as magic?"

Harry shifted his feet and mumbled something that could have only been "Uncle Vernon."

Remus looked up at Sirius, who had closed his eyes tightly, trying to control his raging temper, and back to Harry.

"Well, Uncle Vernon was very wrong," Remus said matter-of-factly. "There _is_ such a thing as magic, Harry. And I will prove it to you."

Remus retrieved his wand from his back pocket and picked up a book from a nearby bookshelf—it was a Muggle book entitled _How to Do Magic_. On the cover was a black top hat with a fluffy white bunny rabbit with his head sticking out of the top.

"May I?" he asked Dumbledore. Dumbledore gestured for him to proceed—his eyes were twinkling again. Remus tapped the book twice with his wand, muttered a few words Harry couldn't hear, and the book immediately sprouted legs and began to tap dance in front of the fireplace.

Harry's jaw dropped. "Wow," he whispered. "How'd you do that?"

Remus grinned, winking in Sirius' direction. "Magic," he said simply.

"When you are older, Harry," Dumbledore spoke from his desk, "you will be make books dance as well."

Harry looked away from the book that was now doing a square dance, and up to the old man. His mouth snapped shut.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet Albus Dumbledore. He used to be our Headmaster," Sirius said. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he added with a smile.

Harry looked at his shoes—his dirty and torn and holy shoes—and muttered, "Hello," ignoring Sirius' explanation of where they were.

The three wizards exchanged a glance—Dumbledore's a bit confused, Sirius and Remus' livid. Dumbledore gestured for the new arrivals to take a seat. Sirius sat first, then Remus (after stopping the charmed book in the middle of a one-object tango), leaving Harry to sit in the middle. The five-year-old sat quietly, looking not at the magnificent office that captivated fully grown men but at his shoes once more. He began playing with a hole in his jeans.

Dumbledore offered the customary tea and lemon drop before sitting himself. Harry accepted both, though was visibly surprised by the treatment he had been receiving. These people—people he'd just met (had he met them before?)—were being so nice to him. His Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would never give him his own cup of tea, let alone any type of sweets...

Dumbledore looked at Sirius and Remus. The two wizards were watching Harry sip his tea with interest. "There were no problems, I presume," he said, bringing them back to the present.

Sirius snorted quietly, still looking at Harry, but Remus answered. "Other than the fact that those _Muggles_ treated him like a slave, forced him to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs, and threw around insults freely... No. No problems at all, sir."

Dumbledore caught the anger and sarcasm that one rarely heard from Remus Lupin. The twinkle in his eyes had disappeared, and his white eyebrows were raised as he looked at Harry as well. "I see," was the only response. They would save this discussion for another time.

"Are you enjoying your lemon drop, Harry?" Dumbledore asked kindly. Harry nodded shyly, not looking at anybody. "I have always enjoyed indulging myself with Muggle candies. Some say it borders on an obsession." Dumbledore gave a pointed look to Sirius and Remus. Both men had to try hard not to smile.

"What's a Muggle?" Harry asked in a small voice, looking hesitantly at Dumbledore. He'd always been told never to ask questions; people wouldn't answer a freak like him.

But Dumbledore smiled. "A Muggle, Harry, is somebody who is not magic," he said.

"So I'm a Muggle." Harry said, not as a question, but as a firm statement.

Dumbledore frowned deeply. "No, Harry, you are not a Muggle," he said. At Harry's look of puzzlement, he added, "You are a wizard."

Harry's face would have amused Sirius and Remus, had it not been for the fact that Harry should have known all of this a long time ago. What else didn't he know?

"What?" Harry asked in a low whisper.

Dumbledore smiled once more. "Yes, you are in fact a wizard. So are Sirius and Remus. Your mother and father were two of the best witches and wizards to walk through Hogwarts' doors (I'm sure Sirius and Remus will tell you all about them if you ask)." Sirius and Remus nodded to Harry. "And when you are old enough, you too will be able to learn here."

"Really?" Harry asked.

Dumbledore's smile widened at Harry's eager—still shy—face. "Yes, really," he said. "Now, is there anything you'd like to ask us, Harry?"

Harry shrunk back into his chair, eyeing the three men around him with slight interest. There was only one thing he wanted to ask. In a very child-like voice, he said, "Why did you take me away?"

"Like we told you before, Harry," Sirius said patiently, "we knew your parents; they were our best friends. And when you were born, they named me your godfather." At Harry's confused look, he added, "Do you know what a godfather is?" Harry shook his head. Sirius looked at Harry's other side to Remus—how do you explain to a five-year-old the role of a godfather?

Remus picked up the mental hint Sirius was sending. "A godfather, Harry, is a person who takes care of a child if his parents cannot," he said easily. "Sirius is _your_ godfather, so he came to take you and take care of you. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded slowly, and Sirius gave Remus a small thankful smile.

Dumbledore spoke again. "Well, I am sure the three of you have a lot of catching up to do, and you wouldn't want to spend a glorious afternoon such as this with an old man such as myself." Sirius and Remus grinned at their former Headmaster, and stood. Harry followed their example. Dumbledore picked up an old paperweight, tapped it with his wand, and muttered "_Portus,"_ and handed the portkey to Sirius.

"The three of you are welcome at Hogwarts anytime. Harry, it was a pleasure meeting you again," he said with a smile to the small boy.

Harry smiled. "You too, sir," he said quietly.

Dumbledore chuckled at his politeness.

"Okay, Harry, put your hand on the paperweight," Sirius said. Harry obeyed, and ten seconds later felt a tug at his navel.

* * *

Sirius' feet crashed into the carpet of Remus' living room and he instinctively reached out to catch Harry before he fell. Remus sat on the sofa with a content sigh. "Ah, home sweet home," he said. Sirius grinned. "Take a seat, Harry. Make yourself comfortable."

Harry sat hesitantly in an old armchair near the fireplace. Sirius sat across from him on the floor. A long silence passed between them, during which Sirius studied Harry intently for the hundredth time that day.

The child was very thin—though that might have had more to do with the baggy clothes he was dressed in. Sirius made a mental note to take Harry to Diagon Alley some time soon. His black, untidy hair was unmistakably James', right down to the tuft that stuck up in the back. He looked exactly like James, now that Sirius thought about it; even the round-rimmed glasses were the same, though Harry's were held together by tape at the bridge. Those eyes, though, those were Lily's. They were the focal point on Harry's pale face; the place to look for all emotions—anger, sadness, fear, happiness. Currently, Harry's eyes housed a mixture of confusion and slight fear.

Sirius knew this had to be happening insanely quickly for the child. Everything that had happened in just a few short hours was almost certainly making Harry's head spin. He was very shy as well—something Lily and James had never been. _From living with those _Muggles, Sirius thought angrily.

He remembered when Harry was just a baby as if it was yesterday. Harry would laugh at every little thing; his eyes would shine when he smiled. He would speak in his made-up baby language nonstop, at all hours. No, this was not the same Harry Sirius had known before. Sirius would have to change that.

Remus broke Sirius thoughts. "I don't know about the two of you, but I am starving. Are you hungry, Harry?"

Harry nodded slightly, not looking at Remus. Remus walked to him, stretched out his hand to Harry, and led him to the kitchen. Sirius followed. Remus pulled out a chair at the head of the table, picked Harry up, and sat him down gently. Harry's small body did not allow him to see over the table.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Well, we can't have that, now can we?" He took his wand from his back pocket and pointed it at Harry's chair. Harry recoiled. "It's okay, Harry, this won't hurt you one bit," Remus said quickly. Once it seemed Harry had calmed a bit, Remus muttered a few words, causing blue sparks to fly from the tip of his wand. Instantly, Harry's chair rose a few feet, making it possible for Harry to see more than the underside of the table.

"Much better," Remus said with a satisfied smile.

Sirius chuckled and sat next to Harry. "Show off," he muttered.

Remus lightly smacked the back of Sirius' head as he crossed the room to the refrigerator. "So what are we in the mood for, gentlemen?" he asked.

Sirius looked to Harry. "What would you like to eat, Harry?"

Harry, still bewildered by his chair rising into the air, shrugged shyly.

Remus walked back to the table and sat on the other side of Harry. "Well, we could have sandwiches, or we could have pasta, or we could have pizza... Whatever you'd like, Harry."

Harry muttered something incoherent.

"What was that, Harry?" Remus asked gently.

"C-could we h-have c-cereal?" Harry stuttered quietly.

Sirius and Remus grinned widely. "Absolutely, Harry!" Sirius said rather enthusiastically.

Harry gave them a small smile as the two wizards gathered bowls, spoons, milk, and cereal.

The three ate mostly in silence; all of them were wrapped up in their own thoughts. As Sirius finished his brunch, he glanced around the small table at Harry, then at Remus.

_I could definitely get used to this,_ he thought happily.

* * *

Once everyone had finished their cereal, Remus decided it was time to give Harry the grand tour of the small cottage. They finished in a matter of minutes; there were only four other rooms Harry had yet to see: the bathroom, Remus' bedroom, a guest room that had been converted into Sirius' bedroom, and Remus' small office—now Harry's bedroom.

During the past week, while Dumbledore and Moody placed the wards and charms around the place, Sirius and Remus busied themselves in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, buying things a five-year-old was sure to need.

"And this, Harry, is your room..." Sirius said.

The tour ended in front of an oak door with a red sign that read _Harry's Room_ in gold lettering. Sirius couldn't help but grin as he opened the door to the room.

The room was simply amazing. There was a definite Gryffindor/Quidditch theme that Sirius had absolutely insisted upon. A large bed sat against a far wall next to an equally large window. The bed's blankets, sheets, and pillows were a mixture of red with gold. The walls surrounding the room were deep crimson with golden trimming, and covered with posters of Quidditch teams from around Europe. In the opposite corner to the bed was a large wooden toy chest filled with every sort of toys—wizard and Muggle—that a child could want. At the wall closest to the door was a small bookcase—filled by Remus—and a small desk that held coloring books and crayons.

Remus and Sirius looked down expectantly, waiting for Harry's reaction. "What do you think, Harry?" Remus asked eagerly.

Harry looked up at the two wizards with big green eyes. "This is all mine?" he whispered in awe.

Sirius nodded. "It's all yours, Harry. Go on, have a look around." He gave Harry a small nudge inside the room.

Harry looked around the room with wonderment only a child could produce. His eyes fell upon the posters on the walls; the players were throwing a quaffle around back and forth. The Chudley Cannon's Chaser dropped it several times, but grinned at Harry nonetheless. Harry's jaw dropped. He turned to look at Sirius and Remus, standing in the door frame with large smiles on their faces, and pointed at the poster. "They're moving!" he exclaimed in confusion and excitement.

Sirius laughed. "Of course they're moving! Do you expect them to just sit around all day?"

Harry continued to stare at the posters, enthralled by the very idea of a moving picture.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Harry and Sirius discovering the treasures in the toy chest together. Remus sat at the desk, amused at the fact that a twenty-six-year-old man could find so much enjoyment out of Mr. Potato Head.

_Well, it is Sirius we're talking about here, _Remus thought with a smirk.

Remus was pleased to see that both Sirius and Harry were having so much fun together. The deadened look in Sirius' eyes was replaced with pure joy when he made Harry smile or laugh just a little bit. And Harry, though still very shy and reluctant, was opening up a tad more as the day turned into night.

_At this rate,_ Remus thought, _things will be back to the way they should be in no time. _

But as Remus continued to watch the pair together, his smile turned into a sad frown at the thought of what was missing from the equation. Lily and James should have been there, laughing and playing with Harry. Sirius should not have missed five years of his godson's life. Everything was wrong; they should have all been in Godric's Hollow, listening to Lily berate James and Sirius for teaching Harry how to set off a dungbomb.

It all came back to Wormtail. He'd been the one to ruin all these lives—sending Lily and James to their deaths, orphaning Harry, sending Sirius to Azkaban. Wormtail was the reason Sirius had that deadened look in his eyes. And Remus vowed, once more, to find the rat and make him pay for all the pain he had caused.

"Remus, check this out! It's Snivellus!"

Remus was jolted from his thoughts by Sirius' cheerful voice and barking laugh. He looked over to where the two were sitting on the floor. Sirius was holding up a Mr. Potato Head that had obviously been tampered with by a wand. Sure enough, the toy had grown long greasy hair, a hooked nose, and a pale potato face.

Remus shook his head and laughed. "Careful, Sirius," he said with a grin, "wouldn't want to get Misuse of Muggle Artifacts out here."

Sirius laughed as Harry asked, "Who's Snivellus?"

Sirius grinned once more. "Just a greasy-haired git. No one you need to worry about, Harry." He ruffled Harry's hair, making it even messier, and stood. "Come on, boys! It's dinnertime! I'm in the mood for pizza. How about you, Harry?" he said, looking around at Harry and Remus.

Harry smiled and nodded enthusiastically. Sirius cried, "Race you!" and took off to the kitchen. Harry followed quickly. Remus laughed softly, and took the route to the kitchen at a much slower pace.

Once in the kitchen, Remus spotted Sirius in a corner with Harry, tickling the poor child unmercifully. Harry rolled around on the linoleum floor laughing madly.

_Yes, I could definitely get used to this, _the werewolf thought smiling. He joined the two, trying to "save" Harry from Sirius.

* * *

After dinner, Sirius and Remus aided Harry in a bath. It wasn't as hard as the two men had expected; all Harry needed was a tub full of bubbles to remain happy.

The two adults waited for Harry to play, wash, and dry himself, and gave him a new pair of pajamas—ones that actually fit him—and took him to bed. Here, Sirius read Harry a story about a Muggle boy and a dragon, turned on a nightlight, and left the room—Harry had fallen asleep halfway through the story. Sirius left the door slightly ajar, just in case he needed them.

Sirius wandered through the house, looking for Remus, and finally found him in a small room in the basement (the main part was left for Remus to transform once a month). The subject of Sirius' search was huddled over a large box.

"What are you looking at, Moony?" Sirius asked, sitting next to his friend.

Remus smiled slightly. "This is the box of things I was able to save from Godric's Hollow."

Sirius smiled sadly and looked inside the box. A large quantity of letters on parchment and Muggle paper, and pictures of various occasions, dating back to their first year of Hogwarts, was inside. An old, dusty mirror was in the bottom of the box.

"God, I didn't know he still had this…" Sirius said quietly, examining the mirror fondly. It was one of the mirrors that James and Sirius used when they were in separate detentions.

"Yeah," Remus said smiling. "Hey, look at these. I forgot I had them..." he trailed off. He was holding two stuffed animals: a brown wolf and a black dog. The Marauders bought them for Harry when he was born.

Sirius smiled at first, but it faded into a frown. "What about the stag?" he questioned quietly.

Remus sighed heavily. "It was... destroyed... in the fire..."

Sirius closed his eyes tightly, willing the tears that were building up to go away. The stag had been Harry's favorite of the stuffed animals. He was never without it; he cried if he wasn't in reaching distance of it.

After a minute of composing himself, Sirius opened his eyes, looked at Remus, and smiled softly. "Well, we'll just have to get him another one, then, eh?"

Remus smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I guess we will."

"He's amazing, isn't he? Harry, I mean. Such a great kid..."

"Yeah, he really is. Just think of what he's going to be like once he reaches Hogwarts."

Sirius laughed. "Just like James, I imagine. Smart, talented, and just a little cocky."

Remus snorted. "James was more than 'just a little cocky' back in those days, Padfoot," he said, smiling.

Sirius smiled back. "True enough. But Harry's got a lot of Lily in him, too; it balances James out. So he can't be too big-headed."

Remus nodded and stood, still holding the two stuffed animals. "Well, come on then. We need to get some sleep.

Merlin only knows how early a five-year-old gets up in the morning."

Sirius laughed and allowed Remus to help him off the floor. The two friends made their way to their own bedrooms. But not before looking in on Harry. Remus and Sirius crept quietly to his bed, and laid the wolf and dog on either side of sleeping child.

Harry hadn't noticed a thing; he was sleeping contently in his new, warm bed, a small smile on his face as he slept.

"I wonder what he's dreaming about..." Remus thought aloud.

"Dunno, but I hope he's happy," Sirius replied.

"Me too," Remus said. "Well, good night, Padfoot."

"'Night, Moony."

* * *

_Harry explored the deep forest in confusion; he had no idea how he had gotten there, but continued on in the direction he was headed._

_As he walked, the only sounds were of his feet on crunching the leaves, he noticed a bright white light to the left of him. Turning in that direction, Harry discovered the light was illuminated from a white stag. It was surrounded by a tan-colored—slightly gray—wolf and a large black dog. _

_The three chased each other and played as if they had been the best of friends. It was an odd combination, a stag playing with a wolf and dog, but Harry watched them in interest as they rolled around in the leaves. _

_Something about them had seemed familiar to Harry, though he wasn't sure what, exactly._

_Whatever it was, Harry enjoyed it. He liked watching these three particular animals playing together. Harry couldn't remember the last time he'd been this happy; it certainly wasn't with his aunt and uncle. The familiarity of the three animals gave him a sense of joy and hope. And he wasn't about to waste this moment; Harry sat down on a tree stump and watched them for what seemed like hours._

_His smile grew as the night wore on. Harry didn't know what this feeling was, but he could definitely get used to it..._


	11. Eleven

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Eleven_

Three days had passed since Harry had come to live with Sirius and Remus, and neither man could recall a time when they had been happier. Harry, though still oddly shy and withdrawn, was quickly becoming the best thing that had ever happened to them. Just his mere presence—whether he was sitting quietly eating dinner, watching television with Sirius, reading a book with Remus, or sleeping—made the two wizards smile and forget all the terrible things they had been through.

His time with the Dursleys had obviously created a deep impression on Harry—something Remus and Sirius were trying to work past without doing considerable damage to Harry's Muggle family, though Sirius had been tempted many times over the past three days.

Harry wasn't big on physical affection; he would become stiff or recoil completely, if Sirius or Remus tried to hug him or pick him up when he wasn't expecting it. This began to lead to questions of physical abuse by the Dursleys. However, Sirius and Remus had not noticed any bruising or scars (other than the one on his forehead) that would show proof of this. Good thing, too; Sirius was itching to show the Dursleys the many creative curses and jinxes he and James had learned in Hogwarts...

Over the past three days, Sirius and Remus spent most of their time recalling stories to Harry about the wizarding world (Diagon Alley, Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic), the Marauders (minus a certain rat), and of course Lily and James. The two friends had made a silent agreement not to discuss Voldemort with Harry until he was a bit older; it would be easier to understand, even if it wasn't easier to explain. Sirius and Remus had no doubt that the Dursleys hadn't told Harry how his parents were murdered—and when they found out the lies he had been told instead, they were likely to explode.

Harry found all of their stories tremendously fascinating; after the second day of stories, he had begun to request certain ones—many of which pertained to Lily and James in particular. He was very interested in the wizarding world, which was why, on this day, Sirius and Remus had planned a special trip to Diagon Alley for Harry.

Currently, the new family was standing in the living room. Sirius and Remus were attempting to explain the finer points of Floo travel to Harry—Sirius wasn't doing a very good job at it, however.

"—but you don't need to worry about that, Harry," Sirius said. "I'll carry you."

Harry looked perplexed and frightened at the fireplace. Remus chuckled slightly at Sirius' lack of understanding that a five-year-old probably didn't need to hear about falling through the wrong grates and meeting up with wands pointed at your face as you stood.

"Sirius, I believe it was a bad idea telling him about that," Remus commented, trying not to grin at the memory.

"It might traumatize him." He walked to the mantle and picked up the jar of Floo powder.

Sirius' grin slid off his face. He knelt down to face his godson—the boy's bottom lip was trembling. "I didn't mean to scare you, Harry. I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "It was a fluke accident anyway; no one ever falls out of the grates, and besides, James pushed me." Harry didn't look reassured. "Okay, kiddo, tell you what: I promise you, Marauder's honor, that I will not let you go until we are safely in the Leaky Cauldron. Okay? And you can hold onto me as tightly as you need to. If you don't like Flooing, then we will Apparate on the way back, okay?"

Harry was still terrified at the thought of being pushed through a fireplace into some unknown place and having some stranger point a wand at him. But the past few days have shown him that he could trust Sirius and Remus. There was something familiar about the two of them—Harry just needed to figure out what it was. But it didn't matter at the moment; Harry knew that when Sirius said he wasn't going to let Harry go, he wouldn't. And that was good enough for Harry.

"Okay," he said to Sirius. He held out his arms to be picked up, and once he was in Sirius' arms, Harry locked his own arms around Sirius' neck—nearly cutting off the man's air supply—and buried his head in the crook of Sirius' shoulder.

Sirius reached out a hand to retrieve a bit of Floo powder held out by Remus—who was smiling widely at the sight before him—stepped into the fireplace, made sure Harry was tightly secure, and clearly said, "Diagon Alley!" before toss the powder to his feet.

Traveling through the flames and small space was no walk in the park when one was carrying a five-year-old, but somehow Sirius managed. He bent his knees in anticipation for the abrupt stop that was sure to come, and seconds later, felt his feet hit solid ground with a dull _thud_. Sirius stumbled out of the fireplace, increasing his grip on Harry so he wouldn't fall out of his arms. When he finally got his footing, Sirius looked down to see a pair of green eyes shining back excitedly.

"Can we do that again?" Harry asked eagerly.

Sirius chuckled and grinned. "Later, kiddo."

A _whoosh_ came from the fireplace behind them, signaling Remus' arrival. He looked slightly sick—Sirius remembered that his old comrade didn't particularly care for traveling through fireplaces. He stood up straight, dusted off his robes, became sure he wasn't going to be sick, and looked at the two figures in front of him.

"Well?" he asked.

"He loved it! Can't wait to do it again," Sirius said with another grin.

"Damn," Remus muttered. He had hoped he would be able to Apparate home. "I think I will find an alternative route for the return journey," he said, rubbing his stomach.

Sirius laughed and turned around. "Suit yourself," he said, looking around at the Leaky Cauldron.

The place was full for a Sunday afternoon; witches and wizards sat by themselves or with their families enjoying the pub's drinks and meals. Sirius knew that he alone inside the Leaky Cauldron was enough to turn a few heads, and maybe run a few people out of the place, and he was not looking forward to seeing the reactions to him carrying Harry Potter.

Speaking of his godson, Sirius smiled as he watched Harry examine their surroundings with excitement. Teapots were floating of their own accord to awaiting customers, dust rags were wiping the bar clean, and there was a hag in the corner that seemed to catch Harry's attention. He began to squirm, but Sirius wasn't going to release him just yet.

Sirius looked at Remus, both thinking the same thing: they needed to get to Diagon Alley before someone noticed them. "Come on, let's get out of here," Sirius muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "I don't want to stay here too long." Remus nodded and led them to the door leading to Diagon Alley. They managed to get through the Leaky Cauldron without incident and found themselves in the quite unremarkable brick courtyard.

Harry looked around, thoroughly confused. Remus and Sirius had told him how amazing Diagon Alley, but Harry didn't see what all the fuss was about.

"Sirius," Harry said looking around at the trash bin in the corner, "where are we?"

Sirius didn't answer, but instead, grinned. "Mr. Moony, if you would be so kind..."

Remus grinned back, retrieved his wand from his robe pocket, and tapped a series of bricks—three up, two across. He stepped back next to Sirius and Harry.

Harry watched with wide eyes as the bricks began to move, finally forming an arch tall enough for Remus to stand on Sirius' shoulders and not bump his head. Harry stared, amazed, at the cobblestone streets packed with shoppers carrying packages of all shapes and sizes. Owls flew during broad daylight; Sirius and Remus told Harry they did this, but it was still fascinating. There were shops that had things Harry hadn't even heard of lining the streets all around them.

Sirius and Remus looked at Harry with identical grins.

"Welcome, Harry," Remus said, "to Diagon Alley."

Harry continued to stare unblinkingly at his surroundings. "Wow," he breathed.

Sirius laughed and hoisted Harry up on his shoulders so that the small boy could see everything over the heads of the shoppers. "Well, let's get going! If you want to see everything, it's going to take all day!"

Remus followed as they made their way to Gringotts Bank; the two wizards knew they would be spending a lot of gold today—especially if Remus allowed Sirius to spend any amount of time in Quality Quidditch Supplies and the old joke shop the Marauders had practically kept in business in their school days.

Sirius' and Remus' smiles began to fade as quickly as they had come. They hadn't even made it halfway to the bank before the whispers and stares commenced.

"Is that Sirius Black...?"

"...and... Merlin's beard! Harry Potter!"

"...in the hands of a Death Eater. The Ministry must be _mad_ to allow that!"

"...said he's innocent..."

"Fudge is an idiot! They don't lock people in Azkaban for twiddling their thumbs!"

"...a murderer with that darling little boy. I wonder if he knows the truth..."

Remus was highly enticed to stun the whole lot of them. _Wonder what they would say if they knew Harry Potter also lives with a werewolf,_ he wondered bitterly.

Sirius' hold had visibly tightened around Harry's legs and he was glaring at everyone they passed. Harry was looking down at Sirius with a confused, thoughtful expression.

"What are they talking about, Sirius?" Harry whispered. "How do they know me?"

_Dammit_, Remus thought. _So much for a quiet day out…_

"Nothing, Harry. Don't listen to them," Sirius muttered tersely as he walked up the stairs to Gringotts quickly.

They entered through the bronze doors and into the marvelous marble hall. Goblins were on their stools helping customers exchange Muggle money for wizard gold and vice versa, weighing diamonds and jewels bigger than Harry's hand, and counting stacks of bronze, silver, and gold coins. Harry had forgotten the people in the street—momentarily—and stared at the short, ugly creatures.

Seeing the questioning look on his face, Remus whispered, "Those are goblins, Harry."

Sirius muttered so that only Harry could hear, "Ugly little buggers, aren't they?" Harry giggled softly.

They walked to a free goblin writing on a piece of parchment. Sirius cleared his throat and the goblin looked up. "Help you?" he grunted.

"Yes. I need to make a withdrawal from vault seven-one-one please."

The goblin studied Sirius for a moment, then, with a quick glance at Harry, he growled, "Key?"

Sirius held Harry's ankles in place over his shoulders and dug through his robes, finally finding his key. He had decided to move all the contents of the Black family vault to his own; though there were some strange things in the Black family vault, the vault itself gave Sirius nightmares. Sirius wasn't happy or proud of the amount of gold he had acquired—he would happily pour it all in Remus' vault, but he knew Remus would never allow that.

The goblin took Sirius' key and examined it. "Everything seems to be in order, here," the goblin said. "Bob!"

Sirius raised his eyebrows to Remus. _Bob?_ he mouthed.

Remus shrugged his shoulders with an amused look. Goblins were strange little creatures...

"You need to go to your vault, Remus?" Sirius asked conversationally as they followed Bob to the bank carts.

Remus shook his head stiffly and muttered, "No," staring straight ahead of him. Sirius sighed as a cart stopped in front of them. Bob stepped in first, then Sirius with Harry in his lap, and finally Remus.

With a jolt, the cart took off.

The Lupin family—though purebloods until Remus' father married his Muggle mother—was terribly poor. Remus never had new robes (his mother always bought them secondhand), new school books—he barely had any books at all, which was why he spent most of his time at Hogwarts in the library—or a shiny new racing broom (Remus still rode an ancient Comet 60 that his father had given him when he was twelve), and he never once complained about it. But Sirius had always believed Remus deserved more than he had. Work had been incredibly hard to come by for the werewolf once he graduated. The Ministry wouldn't even consider hiring him, and the odd jobs that he'd held let him go after he'd missed so many days every month.

It wasn't fair, Sirius knew, that Remus, being the amazing wizard he was couldn't even get a job washing dishes due to unjust wizarding prejudices.

After a fast winding cart ride—during which Harry tried to lean over the side after he saw something that resembled dragon fire; Remus and Sirius pulled him back and held him in his seat for the remainder of the ride—they stopped in front of Sirius' vault. All four occupants stepped out and followed Bob to the vault's door.

"Why don't you go on in, Sirius, and I'll keep an eye on Harry," Remus suggested.

Neither wizard had any idea what kinds of evils were transferred from the Black family vault. Besides the galleons, sickles, and knuts, there were strange possessions that belonged to Sirius' family—some of which, Sirius was sure, actually breathed.

Bob took Sirius' key and opened the door.

"Wish me luck," Sirius said with an expression Remus didn't recognize as he walked in the door.

Remus chuckled and knelt down beside Harry. "So what do you think of Diagon Alley, Harry?" he asked.

Harry turned to Remus from where he'd been trying to see over the rocky canyons and smiled. "It's really neat," he said eagerly, though his smile faded rather quickly.

"What is it, Harry?" Remus asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Harry sighed a far too heavily for a five-year-old. "Those people. What did they mean about Sirius? How did they know my name?"

Remus closed his eyes. They didn't want to do this for a few more months at the very least. Sirius knew they would have to tell Harry about his time in Azkaban, about how the rat had framed him and betraying Lily and James to Voldemort. And him... Voldemort was at least a day's worth of talks. But not this soon...

"Well, Harry," Remus hesitated, trying to phrase it correctly, "there are some people who believe certain things about Sirius. None of those things are true, but those people on the streets don't want to believe it's not true."

Harry looked confused. "What kinds of things?"

Remus winced. "Some people think that Sirius did something—bad—a few years ago. Those same people still think he did that bad thing; that's why they were talking about him."

"But... if he didn't do the bad thing, why do they think he did?" Harry asked innocently.

Remus looked at Harry sadly. _Because, Harry, most people are ignorant bastards who wouldn't know the truth if it hit them in the head like a bludger._ "I really don't know, Harry."

Harry looked at the vault door Sirius had disappeared through thoughtfully. "I don't think Sirius is bad," he said simply.

Remus smiled and ruffled Harry's hair as Sirius came out of the vault with a leather pouch full of jingling coins.

Sirius grinned at them. "Well, what are we waiting for? We have a whole alley to explore!"

Harry grinned right back, and ran to the cart, eager to get the ride started again.

Remus held Sirius back. The latter's smile slid off his face at the look on his friend's face. "What?" Sirius asked quickly.

Remus sighed. "When we get back home," he said quietly, but clearly, "we need to have a long talk with Harry."

That was all Remus said, but Sirius understood the meaning behind it. His stomach was suddenly full of lead. Sirius nodded heavily, Remus nodded back, and the two went back to the cart silently.

* * *

Once out of Gringotts, Sirius led Harry by the hand through most of the Diagon Alley shops. They visited Flourish and Blotts (Sirius bought Harry some children's picture books with recommendations from Remus), the Owl Emporium—it took the adults a full hour to drag Harry out of there—a children's clothing store which stocked Muggle clothes as well as wizard robes and cloaks (they purchased a whole new wardrobe for Harry—they would burn Dudley's old ones later), Quality Quidditch Supplies, and Gambol and Jape's Joke Shop. Remus was separated from Sirius and Harry by a group of, by the looks of them, third years from Hogwarts. Sirius exited the shop with a large package that gave Remus a sense of impending doom. Their last stop for the evening (the sun was setting rapidly), was Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

Remus and Sirius watched in growing amusement as Harry quickly ate his chocolate and peanut butter ice cream. He was a sticky mess; ice cream covered his shirt, hands, mouth, and somehow, the back of his hair.

After he finished his treat, Sirius performed a quick cleaning charm on Harry and led him and Remus back to the Leaky Cauldron. Once inside, Sirius stopped abruptly. "Moony, I forgot something. Could you watch Harry for a minute? I'll be right back." And without another word or a backwards glance, Sirius dropped their packages on a table and ran back to Diagon Alley.

"Where's he going?" Harry asked curiously.

With an amused sigh, Remus replied, "Merlin only knows, Harry. There is just no telling with Sirius."

During Sirius' absence, Remus entertained Harry by shrinking everything they'd bought so that it would all fit into their pockets. Fifteen minutes later, Sirius returned to their table empty-handed.

Remus raised his eyebrows. "Did you forget something again, Padfoot?"

Sirius grinned mischievously (_Oh no,_ Remus thought). "Nope," he said airily. "Are we all ready to go? Got everything shrunk? Great! Remus, see you in a bit."

With that, Sirius picked Harry up and headed for the fireplace. Saying Remus' address, the two disappeared in the whirl of green flames.

Remus stared at the now empty and dark fireplace, shook his head with yet another heavy sigh, and Disapparated from the Leaky Cauldron with a small _pop_.

He didn't know what was awaiting him at home, but Remus dreaded it.


	12. Twelve

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Twelve_

Remus arrived home with a _pop_ and found the cottage in complete silence. This hadn't happened since before the last full moon—Remus was suspicious. For the slightest moment, he thought that perhaps Sirius and Harry hadn't Flooed through yet, and he looked at the fireplace automatically waiting for a burst of light. Then Remus looked down the hall and spotted Sirius coming out of Harry's room, leaving the door partially cracked behind him.

"What's up?" Remus asked.

Sirius smiled. "Fell asleep just as we came through the fireplace. I put him to bed," he said. "What took you so long?"

Remus looked out the window, noting that night had fallen. It was probably just past nine o'clock; Harry was normally asleep by eight-thirty (or so that had been the routine for three days). He looked back to Sirius and smiled. "Just wondering what I was coming home to. Figured it would be best to give you two a head start if the house was going to be booby-trapped or something." Remus cast an anxious glance around the spotless cottage. "It's not booby-trapped... is it?"

Sirius grinned. "Maybe it is… maybe it isn't. Guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

Remus rolled his eyes and began removing the things they had purchased from his pockets. He went to sit on the sofa, and Sirius sat next to him, also observing their purchases. "Hmm... Didn't realize we'd bought so much today..." he muttered.

Remus chuckled. "Yes, that tends to happen when a Potter and a Black go shopping," he said thoughtfully.

Sirius grinned, but it disappeared a moment later. "So. What happened in Gringotts?" he asked flatly.

Remus closed the book he had been flipping through and sighed. "Harry wanted to know what all those people in Diagon Alley were on about. Apparently your reply didn't satisfy his never-ending curiosity," he said with a wry grin.

Sirius didn't grin back. He ignored the attempt at humor from his friend and spoke quietly, "And what'd you tell him?"

"I told him that some people think you did something bad, that you really didn't, but they won't believe the truth." Sirius nodded pensively. "I don't think he fully understood what I was saying, but I think he got the gist of it." Remus paused and smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, for some strange reason, Harry doesn't seem to think you are all that bad."

Sirius smiled at this, but said nothing. After a tense moment of silence, in which both wizards wondered what to do next,

Sirius spoke, "What should we tell him, then?"

Remus had been thinking of this all afternoon. "Well, we obviously need to tell him the truth about Lily and James, and about Voldemort." It was refreshing for Remus not to see someone wince at the name. "And I think we should explain what happened to you..."

"Wormtail and all?"

"Wormtail and all. He needs to know the entire story to fully comprehend it. I know he's young, and that's why we didn't want to tell him right away. But I think that Harry is smart enough to understand," Remus replied with another sigh.

Sirius nodded. Even quieter, and not looking at Remus, he replied, "What about the prophecy?"

Remus stared at Sirius for a moment, trying to work out what he had just said. "Prophecy? What prophecy?"

"The prophecy that was made about Harry before he was born," Sirius explained with the air of wanting to get something over. "That was the reason Voldemort went after Lily, James, and Harry. He was trying to fulfill the prophecy." Sirius looked into Remus' face—he was completely baffled. Sirius looked back to his feet—his shoes seemed to be easier to talk to than Remus' face at the moment. "Basically, it said that Harry would have the power to defeat Voldemort... eventually."

"So Voldemort was going after Harry to get rid of him before Harry could defeat him?" Sirius nodded. "But... Harry defeated Voldemort that night. Well, for the time being. But—"

Sirius cut him off. "The prophecy said that the Dark Lord will mark the child born to parents that thrice defied the Dark Lord at the end of July. From what I could figure out, and that isn't much, Voldemort marked Harry the night he killed Lily and James."

Remus raised his eyebrows. He'd never heard any of this before... Ever. "How do you know all this?"

Sirius sighed and looked out the window; that tree that was blowing was far more interesting than his shoes. "James told me just after Dumbledore told him and Lily. They weren't positive if that it _was_ Harry at the time, but Dumbledore advised them to go into hiding. It could have been another boy born around the same time as Harry, and that boy's family went into hiding, too." Sirius was stalling for time, and he knew it.

"The Longbottoms..." Remus said. Old mysteries were beginning to make sense.

"The Longbottoms," Sirius confirmed. Remus shook his head sadly. Then his eyes narrowed on Sirius expectantly, waiting for the rest of the story.

With another sigh—_J__ust get it over with,_ he urged himself—he continued, "Voldemort knew half of the prophecy; some Death Eater had overheard it being made, but he was busted halfway through and thrown out of the place. Lily and James didn't tell you because I advised them not to. I told them that—"

"That I was the spy," Remus finished flatly.

Sirius finally looked back at him. "They didn't believe it, Remus. Lily threatened to curse off certain parts of my body for only suggesting it. And I thought James was going to have an aneurysm with that vein popping out of his forehead, he was so pissed at me," Sirius said quickly in one breath. "They never—not even for a second—believed it was you, Remus. They didn't want to believe it was any of us, but the facts were there; one of us was the spy. It was all me; I was the one that told them not to tell you they were going into hiding at first; I was the one who told them you were the spy. And again, Remus, I am so sorry."

Remus shook his head and tried to focus on a spot on the carpet. "Don't worry about it. Don't forget," he said looking back at Sirius with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes, "I thought you were a mad mass murderer for nearly five years."

Sirius snorted quietly. "Yeah."

Both went into their own thoughts, once more.

Remus was more than relieved to hear Sirius say that Lily and James hadn't believed him to be the spy. He always knew that Sirius was trying to convince them it was him all along. Remus had attempted to do the same with Sirius to James—that didn't work out too well. Both were wrong and they knew it now. All of them, Remus, Sirius, Lily, and James, had forgotten about Peter until it was too late. No one had even considered Peter as the spy—well, maybe for about a second, but just the thought of it at the time—Peter Pettigrew, spying for Voldemort. It was preposterous, outrageous, laughable.

There had never been an issue with Remus forgiving Sirius for thinking he was the spy those years ago; after all, as Remus had said, he'd thought the same thing of Sirius. Remus just hoped his friend would forgive him for not seeing the truth after everything happened. Remus hadn't been thinking straight for months after Lily and James' deaths and Sirius' imprisonment. He had barely left his home for months besides attending the funerals for the late Potters and the supposedly dead Peter.

It was easier for Remus to let Sirius' apologies fly right past him without another thought than it was to wonder whether or not Lily and James had died thinking he was thinking he was a traitor. Perhaps this was because Sirius was there, alive, and Lily and James... well, weren't.

Sirius cleared his throat. "So we'll talk to Harry tomorrow, then?" he asked.

Remus swallowed and nodded. "Yeah," he said hoarsely.

Sirius nodded and stood. "All right, then. I'm going to bed; I'm exhausted."

Remus chuckled quietly, still not looking at Sirius. "Okay, see you in the morning, Sirius."

"See you."

Sirius had been gone for ten minutes before Remus finally stood. He walked down to the basement, to the room where he kept his hidden treasures, and picked up an old box of photos. After riffling through them for a moment, Remus found what he was searching for: a wizard photo of the Marauders, Lily, and Harry the Christmas before their world collapsed.

Remus watched the photo for hours, chuckling occasionally, as Sirius and James made goofy faces and tried to push each other out of the frame, as James kissed Lily and Harry, as Remus and Sirius took turns holding the giggling five-month-old Harry. He watched Wormtail walk in and out of the photo peering at Harry over the shoulders of the others with an odd expression on his face.

Finally, around midnight by his watch, Remus placed the photo gently back into the box, and headed to bed. The next day was going to be a long one...

* * *

_Sirius walked through the dark deserted halls of the Potter home in Godric's Hollow. _

"_James?" he called. _

_There was no answer._

"_Lily? Harry? Anyone here?"_

_Nothing._

_Into the kitchen, Sirius walked. He reached for where he knew the light switch to be, and flicked it into the on position. The room remained dark._

"_Odd..." Sirius muttered, confused. He moved his hand to the inner pockets of his robes for his wand—it wasn't there. Sirius searched all his pockets—he seemed to have more than usual—but turned up nothing._

_A creak of a floorboard sounded somewhere above him. _

_Sirius looked up and frowned. "Why didn't they answer me?" he murmured._

_Sirius left the kitchen and headed up the stairs. _Since when are they're so many stairs in this place?_ he wondered. _"_James?" he called softly. "Are you here? It's me. It's Padfoot." _

_Sirius wasn't sure why he was informing his best friend of over twenty years as to who he was; James should know by now. _

_He reached the top of the stairs and looked around. In the far end of the hall, a door was slightly ajar and the light was on. A shadow passed into the room and the door closed. He turned and looked at the other side of the hallway. Everything else was dark; the only source of light was now just a sliver from under that closed door. _

_Sirius turned back to face the door. It seemed farther away than before, but he walked slowly towards it. He wished he had his wand; he didn't know what was going to be in that room. Before he knew it, Sirius was directly facing the dark mahogany door. It was Lily and James' bedroom—Harry's was two doors to the right. Sirius placed his hand on the doorknob (_And behind door number one,_ he thought amusedly) and pushed the door open slowly—why was this door so heavy? _

_He had expected to see James on the floor, leaning against the four-poster bed, playing with Harry. When he opened the door fully, Sirius found the oddest sight he had ever seen. This was not Lily and James' bedroom. It was a cement room with a spotlight in the middle shining on a lone figure. And beneath the light was James. He was dead. Somehow, Sirius had moved from the doorway to James in a matter of seconds, and dropped to his knees. He looked into James' empty hazel eyes and sobbed. "I'm so sorry, James. I miss you..."_

_Suddenly, a strong hand, James' hand, flew up and grabbed Sirius around the neck. James' dead pale face formed a maniacal grin._

"_You killed us, Sirius," James said in a voice that was not his. _

"_No! No, I didn't, James! I swear! It was Voldemort!" Sirius cried thickly, trying to pry James' cold hands from his throat. _

"_You told us to switch to Wormtail. You killed Lily. You killed me. You caused Harry to be orphaned."_

"_No! Harry's with Moony and me now! He's happy!"_

"_It's because of you, Sirius, that my son—my one and only son—was forced to spend five years of his life with those bloody Muggles." James' grip increased. "You deserved Azkaban. The dementors should have given you the Kiss for what you did to us. We were happy. And you had to ruin our lives." _

_James pulled Sirius closer. Sirius could smell James' rotten breath. He looked down at the hand around his neck—the skin was peeling, revealing pearly, white bone. He looked back at James. "You're no better than Bellatrix," the skin under James' eyes was disappearing, "no better than Regulus," the bones digging into Sirius' throat were penetrating his skin, "no better than your mother."_

_James was going to kill Sirius. His strength was unusually strong for a skeleton man. _

"_No, James! I didn't know it was Wormtail! I swear! I didn't know! I wouldn't have done that to you! I'm sorry!"_

"_You're a traitor, Sirius. A traitor to your family. A traitor to your friends. A traitor to the Order. You're not the brother I once thought. You're nothing to me."_

"_Sirius..."_

"_No, James! Please! I'm sorry!" Sirius was shaking, still trying to push James away._

"_Sirius!"_

"_Please, James! I didn't know!"_

"SIRIUS!"

* * *

Sirius awoke with a jolt, sitting straight up. He was wet with cold sweat dripping from nearly every area of his body, his hair plastered to his forehead, mingling with warm tears. Remus stood above him looking alarmed. Sirius looked back with wide eyes, his breathing fast and shallow.

"Sirius," Remus said concernedly, "are you okay?"

Sirius pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, producing small white stars, trying to press out the image of James, the feeling of James' hands around his neck, the smell of James' breath, the sound of James' odd voice telling Sirius it was his fault.

Sirius opened his eyes and looked at Remus, then moved his eyes around the room. "Where's Harry?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"He's still asleep," Remus replied quietly. "I heard someone crying. I thought it was Harry. You were thrashing around... calling for James."

"I have that dream all the time," Sirius stated so quietly that Remus had to strain his ears. "He blames me. Says I killed Lily and him. Says I should have gotten a dementor's Kiss." Sirius shuddered involuntarily. He barely felt the weight of the bed shift as Remus sat next to him. "He says I'm the traitor. Sometimes he says that I made them switch to Wormtail _knowing_ he was the spy. Says I had been planning it all along... I would have never done that, Remus. If I would have known it was Wormtail, I would have killed him." Sirius didn't sense the fresh tears streaming from his eyes, nor did he notice Remus rubbing his back consolingly.

"He says I'm not better than Bellatrix or Regulus or—my mother." Sirius sniffed. "I didn't know, Remus. I swear to god, I didn't know."

Remus sniffed back tears as he listened to Sirius mutter. "I know, Sirius," he said. "It was just a dream; it wasn't real. None of us blame you in the least. James certainly doesn't blame you. It wasn't your fault, Sirius." Remus had the distinct impression that Sirius wasn't listening. "I'll be right back." Remus stood from the bed, opened the bedroom door, and walked out. Sirius hadn't noticed a thing.

A few minutes later, Remus came back carrying a tall glass of greenish liquid. "Dreamless Sleep Potion," he said. "Drink it, you'll feel better in the morning."

Sirius took the glass, not sure of what he was drinking, yet not caring if it was poison, and downed the potion in three large gulps. Everything began to fade...

* * *

The next morning, Remus sat at the kitchen table drinking a steaming cup of coffee. He hadn't slept at all after Sirius finally fell back to sleep. The sun had risen over the forest surrounding Remus' home, vanishing a fog that had formed during the night.

_Not just my home anymore,_ he thought with a smile.

The bathroom door opened and closed with a _click, _and a few moments later, Remus heard the flush of the toilet, and running water of the bathroom sink. The door opened and Harry, dressed in red flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt, walked into the kitchen. His hair was messier than usual, and he was rubbing sleep from his eyes under his newly-repaired glasses.

_God, he looks like James,_ Remus thought for about the thousandth time since Harry had come to live with them. His smile grew wider.

"Morning, Harry," Remus said.

Harry yawned widely. "Morning, Remus," he said quietly.

"Would you like some cereal?"

"Yeah," Harry replied with his shy smile.

Remus set down his coffee, and ruffled Harry's hair receiving a tired giggle in return. The wizard gathered a bowl, spoon, cereal, and milk for Harry's breakfast and took it back to the table. Harry watched with a thoughtful frown as his breakfast was prepared. Once he was finished, Remus sat back down. Harry picked up the spoon, but didn't eat; he continued to watch Remus.

"Is there something wrong with your cereal? Would you like some sugar?" Remus asked.

Harry shook his head, looked into his bowl, and turned the spoon around in the cereal, thinking hard.

"Remus?" he said in a whisper.

"Yes, Harry?"

Harry set his spoon on the edge of the bowl and looked at Remus. The wizard began to sip his coffee.

"Are you a wolf?" Harry asked.

Remus choked on his scalding hot drink. Harry didn't know anything about Remus' Lycanthropy. He knew about Sirius and James being Animagi, but nothing about Remus. He had planned to tell Harry later.

Remus went slightly white and sat his coffee mug down with shaking hands. "How," he cleared his hoarse voice and tried again. "What makes you think that, Harry?"

Harry looked back at Remus, slightly fearful, but not backing down from his question. "You are... aren't you?" he questioned quietly.

Remus nodded silently, transfixed with the boy sitting next to him. _How does he know_? he wondered. He thought briefly that Sirius may have told Harry, but he knew that Sirius would have mentioned it to Remus if he had. So that was out of the question…

"How do you know that, Harry?" His voice was still quite hoarse—it couldn't be helped at the moment.

Harry looked back down into his bowl. "A dream," he mumbled clearly.

"A dream?" Remus checked.

Harry nodded slightly.

Remus nodded to himself, very confused. How could Harry have ever dreamed about something like that? He had never seen Remus in wolf form obviously. So how what it possible?

And what else did he know...?

"How did you become a wolf?" Harry asked hesitantly, but wide awake now.

Remus looked away from the window he had been staring at—he wasn't aware of moving his eyes from Harry—and back at Harry. The boy was staring at him with attentive childlike curiosity.

Remus sighed. _Might as well tell him. He's going to find out eventually, anyway._

"Well, when I was a bit younger than you—around four years old—my parents and I lived here in this house. One night, on a full moon, I snuck out of my bedroom, out of the house, to get a toy I had forgotten. My parents always told me never to go outside the house at night. I was too close to the trees that night." Remus paused, remembering his own stupidity. He had only ever told three other people this story, and that was back in second year. Now he was telling the five-year-old son of one of those people. But Harry was looking at him expectantly; he'd have to finish the story.

"I heard a noise and looked into the trees, not expecting to see anything. But I saw two yellow eyes staring back at me. I jumped and started to run back to the house. I could hear it following me." Remus gulped; this was the hardest part to tell. "Before I reached the door, it grabbed me. I screamed. I felt it bite me, right on my side," he gestured to the spot through his shirt. Harry looked at the spot quickly, then back at Remus—his mouth was gaping slightly. "As I started to pass out from the pain, the back door slammed open, and I saw my father chase it off with his wand."

Harry swallowed. "What was it?" he asked in a curious, eager whisper.

"It... it was a werewolf."

"A _werewolf_?" Remus nodded. "What happened then?"

"My parents took me to the wizard's hospital. The Healers tried to repair my injury, but I still have a small scar. They said I was lucky to be alive." Remus whispered the last part, reminding himself how lucky he had been that night—or unlucky, depending on one's perception. He continued, "The Healer informed my parents that night that from then on, every full moon, I would turn into a werewolf."

There. It was done. Not to wait for Harry to run screaming from the kitchen.

It never happened. Harry had stayed where he was, his brow furrowed in thought trying to comprehend it all. "So... if you bite me on a full moon, would _I_ be a werewolf, too?" he asked.

Remus was shocked by the question, but recovered quickly. "W-well, yes... you would..." he stuttered. "But you'll never be here during that time," he added quickly.

Harry's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why?" he asked.

"Because I don't want you to get hurt. Werewolves are dangerous, Harry."

Harry shook his head, his hair flying in all directions. "You're not dangerous, Remus."

Remus smiled slightly. "No, _I'm_ not, but on a full moon, the wolf can be."

Harry frowned and sighed. "So where will I go?" he asked. Then his face became horrified. "B-back to Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon?"

"No!" Remus said quickly and a little louder than he had intended. "No, Harry. You will never go back there, I promise you. No. Sirius will take you to Hogwarts during the full moon nights. You'll be able to see the castle and the Quidditch pitch—"

"And the forest?" Harry asked eagerly, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Er, not so sure about that. But you'll get to see everything else." Remus chuckled at Harry's indignation. He looked at Harry's bowl of cereal and smiled. "Your cereal is all soggy. How about I clean this up and make us some pancakes and bacon?"

"Did someone say bacon?" came a sleepy voice.

Remus and Harry turned to see Sirius walking into the kitchen in only red flannel pajama bottoms that matched Harry's, stretching his long arms to the ceiling.

"Morning, Sirius," Remus said as he stood, taking Harry's bowl to the sink. "Feeling better?" he added in a concerned voice.

Sirius nodded and yawned. "Yeah, thanks for that," he said, avoiding his best friend's gaze.

"Anytime." Remus smiled.

"Morning, Harry," Sirius said as he crossed the small kitchen.

"Hey, Sirius, guess what!" Harry said excited.

"What?" Sirius said, trying but failing to sound just as excited as his godson.

"Remus said we get to go to Hogwarts and we can see the castle and the Quid—Quid—"

"Quidditch pitch?" Sirius guessed.

"Yeah, that! Can we see the forest, too?"

"When is this all happening?" Sirius said, turning to Remus.

"Full moon." Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Er, Harry and I had the first part of our little chat before you got up."

"Oh, okay," Sirius said, slightly surprised. He turned back to Harry's eager face. "Er, we'll see about the forest, Harry."

Remus chuckled and rolled his eyes as he produced pancake batter from his wand and set the bacon to frying itself. Once breakfast was finished cooking, Remus put it all onto separate plates and directed it to the table with his wand. He went to the refrigerator and retrieved a pitcher of pumpkin juice and three glasses from the cabinet, and went to sit across from Sirius at the table.

Harry and Sirius were both red from laughing at some story Sirius was telling. "And then Lily comes out. 'Potter! Black! I warned you two to stop turning the first years into slugs! I'm going to report you to Professor McGonagall!'" Sirius imitated Lily's fifth year voice badly. "So she went for McGonagall, McGonagall came out, and James and I got a month's worth of detentions in the hospital wing and fifty points each from Gryffindor." Sirius wiped a tear from his eye, shaking with laughter. "I swear, James planned that just so he could see Lily get mad."

Harry continued laughing.

"You shouldn't tell Harry those things, Padfoot, it might give him ideas," Remus said, grinning.

"That was the plan, Moony," Sirius replied cheerfully. "Ah, food! Smashing!"

Sirius grabbed a fork and began, inhaling his food. Harry followed his example, but he was at least chewing his pancakes first.

"After breakfast, Sirius, we should get that talk out of the way," Remus said, peering at Sirius warily.

Sirius' fork, full of syrupy pancake, stopped halfway to his mouth. He glanced at Harry from the corner of his eye, then looked at Remus and nodded. Sirius continued his bite of pancake and said, "Then, after that, I have a surprise for the both of you…"

"Wha' sapwise?" Harry asked through a mouthful of pancake.

Sirius' eyes glittered mischievously, and he grinned. Remus groaned inwardly—that was never a good combination.

"You'll just have to wait to see, kiddo," he said mysteriously, then added with a wink to Remus, "And you shouldn't talk with your mouth full."


	13. Thirteen

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Thirteen_

Sirius and Remus watched as Harry played with a set of magical building blocks. The blocks were charmed not to fall over, no matter how high the stack became.

Remus sighed. "We need to do this," he said to himself as well as Sirius.

Sirius nodded. "I know." He took a deep breath, readying himself for the task at hand. "Okay, let's get it over with."

Sirius stood from his chair in the kitchen and slowly walked into the living room where Harry was playing. Remus followed. Harry smiled as his new guardians sat on either side of him on the floor in front of the fireplace. The two wizards smiled back weakly as Sirius cleared his throat.

"Er, Harry, Remus and I need to discuss a few things with you," Sirius began lamely. When Harry looked at Sirius with a curious expression, Sirius lost his nerve and sent Remus a begging look.

_Start from the beginning, I suppose... _Remus thought. "Harry," he began hesitantly, "do you know how your mum and dad... died?" He whispered the last part—it was still difficult to admit.

Harry looked surprised at the question, but answered it quickly, as if he'd heard it several times. "Yes, my Aunt Petunia told me they died in a car crash."

Remus would have produced a succession of swear words that would make a professional Quidditch player blush if Sirius hadn't beaten him to it.

They had suspected the Dursleys had not been entirely truthful to Harry when it came to the deaths of Lily and James Potter, but this—it would have been better for Petunia not to have told him anything at all. Saying Lily and James Potter were killed in a Muggle car crash was an insult to their memories.

Once Sirius concluded his rant of curses and hexes he would most like to use on Petunia and Vernon Dursley, he composed himself—still very red in his pale face—and asked Harry in a strangled controlled voice, "What else did they tell you about your parents?"

Harry looked fearfully at Sirius—his outburst had understandably shocked the child—and said, "Th-they told me t-that my dad was a drunk and never had a job. And my mum was a worthless freak."

The tone in which he used to describe what he had been told about his parents suggested that the Dursleys had told him this on more than one occasion. The hatred that Sirius and Remus felt for the Dursleys before this was nothing compared to what they were feeling at the moment.

Remus expected another outburst from Sirius, but the room remained in shocked, horrified silence. Sirius stared at Harry as if he was seeing his godson for the first time ever and was wondering how Harry had appeared before him.

Remus was completely void of all emotion—he had gone numb once more. Not only did Harry know nothing of his world—the world in which he was born, the world to which he belonged—but he'd been told disgusting lies about his parents. What kind of people would lie to a child in such a way?

"First of all, Harry," Sirius spoke in a choked, hushed voice, "your father... James was the best damn Auror of our time. He _did _have a job, Harry; the Ministry was knocking down his door to get him after we graduated. And he was _not_ a drunk. He never was." Sirius paused. "Your dad was the most amazing man I ever met in my entire life."

Remus continued—Sirius was becoming a bit emotional, "And your mum was most certainly not a 'worthless freak,' Harry. She was a beautiful woman—inside and out. Talented like you wouldn't believe; Lily caught onto things quicker than anyone else in our year, especially when it came to Charms and Potions. She was brilliant, to say the very least, kind, funny... Your parents were remarkable, Harry." _I wish you had gotten to know them as we did,_ he thought to himself.

Sirius picked up the conversation once more. "Second of all, they were not killed in a _car crash_," he said through gritted teeth. He was still planning the best way to hex Petunia and Vernon—Dudley, too, if he could catch the little pig.

At this, Harry snapped his head to Sirius from where he had been staring at a red block so fast his neck cracked. "They weren't?" he asked.

"No. They were murdered by Lord Voldemort," Sirius replied in a firm voice. Harry looked at him, confusion written all over his face, but before he could ask, Sirius continued. "When the four of us—your parents, Remus, and I—started Hogwarts, there was a bad wizard. At first, people just thought he was nothing important, that he just had a grudge against Muggles and wanted a bit of power. They thought he would be taken care of in a few years. But those few years went by, and disappearances and deaths became more and more frequent. By the time we finished Hogwarts, people were afraid to even speak his name. They thought that saying his name would bring death to their doorsteps. But you should never fear saying Lord Voldemort, Harry; it's pointless to live in fear of a name. Never refer to him as _He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named_ or even worse, _You-Know-Who_." Sirius paused to collect his thoughts before continuing.

"Professor Dumbledore formed a group of witches and wizards to try and stop Voldemort's rise to power. But by that time, Voldemort had supporters and spies everywhere; it was hard to tell who was on his side—willingly or unwillingly." Remus and Sirius exchanged a glance. "They were all over the place.

"We were invited to join Professor Dumbledore's group—the Order of the Phoenix—and we did." Sirius paused again, collecting his thoughts to decide how best to phrase the next part without the elaborate use of swears words. "There used to be a fourth Marauder. In school, he was always the oddball in the group, but we accepted him and loved him as we did each other. His nickname was Wormtail, and he became an Animagus when James and I did. His form was always a—"

"—rat," Harry finished quietly, looking at the floor.

Sirius glanced at Remus, expecting to see the same shock he felt, but Remus looked back calmly and mouthed, _Tell you later_.

Sirius nodded dumbly and continued. "Right. Well, anyway, after we graduated Wormtail became one of Voldemort's supporters—they're called Death Eaters. But none of us knew until it was too late. Your mum and dad were forced into hiding when you were just over a year old. They were going to use a charm to hide your house. The person who performed this charm was called a Secret-Keeper. That person was the only one who could tell anybody where you were." Sirius sighed sadly and angrily. "At first, I was going to be the Secret-Keeper. But at the last moment, I talked your parents into switching to Wormtail."

"But, I thought—" Harry began.

Remus cut him off quietly. "We didn't know Wormtail was a Death Eater, Harry. Not then, anyway."

Sirius nodded miserably. "Right. So Wormtail became Secret-Keeper. On Halloween night, five years ago this year, Wormtail betrayed you and your parents to Voldemort. He told Voldemort where to find you. Voldemort came. H-he killed your parents, and then he t-tried to kill you..."

"He tried to kill _me_?" Harry asked in a frightened whisper.

Remus continued for Sirius. "Yes, but instead of doing that, Harry, something happened... The curse meant to kill you backfired on Voldemort. Nobody knows for sure what happened that night—why didn't the curse work? Nobody has ever survived that curse, and here we have a fifteen-month-old baby who lived."

"What happened to Vold-Vol—"

"Voldemort." Harry nodded. "Nobody is sure about that, either. Many think he died, that when the curse backfired it killed him instead of you. But those who are intelligent enough not to believe such things believe that he is still out there somewhere. His powers gone, he's too weak to continue. Now he is less than nothing. That night, Harry, you did something that the entire wizarding community had prayed for for ten years: you rid us of Lord Voldemort."

Harry was stunned. He stared at Remus with wide eyes and gaping mouth. "I-I did?"

Remus nodded. "Yes. That scar on your forehead," he gestured to the lightning bolt shape hidden by Harry's hair, "that's where Voldemort tried to curse you."

Harry ran his fingers across the scar with a new understanding, and a sudden flash of memories. "There was a green light, then someone laughed..." he trailed off, staring at nothing.

Sirius looked at Remus, startled, but Remus looked determinedly at Harry. _Must have been that night,_ he thought sadly.

Harry turned his head slowly to Sirius and whispered, "What happened then?" as if he somehow knew the next part was Sirius'.

Sirius looked down at his hands and slowly began. "I went to your house and found it destroyed. I found your dad, then your mum, and then you. I wanted to take you away from there, to keep you safe, but Hagrid showed up and said Dumbledore wanted you to go to your aunt and uncle's house. I argued a bit, but I had no choice in the end," he looked at Harry with wet eyes, "I had to let him take you, Harry. I'm so sorry. I should have taken you and ran the second I found you."

Harry crawled into Sirius' lap and hugged him tightly. Sirius returned it, sobbing quietly into Harry's messy hair. Remus wiped tears away from his own face silently.

After a few moments, Harry pulled away from Sirius slightly, and wiped a tear from his godfather's face with a small finger. "What then?" he asked.

Sirius smiled faintly before continuing. "Then I went to find Wormtail. I found him in Muggle London. But before I could do anything to him, he yelled to the street that _I_ had betrayed Lily and James. He cut off his right index finger, blew up the street, killed twelve innocent Muggles, transformed into the rat, and disappeared into the sewers. Shortly after, the Ministry arrived. They arrested me for what Wormtail did, not believing I was innocent. I was in prison until eleven days ago."

"What happened eleven days ago?" Harry asked quietly.

Sirius looked at Remus with a slight smile. "Remus found out the truth. He and Dumbledore came and freed me." Remus tried to smile, but only managed to make the corner of his mouth twitch slightly. "Then we came and got you, and now here we are."

Harry nodded. "So that's what those people were talking about?" he asked, remembering Diagon Alley.

Sirius nodded. "They still think I did those things I was arrested for. Even though a lot of people told them I didn't."

Harry nodded again.

Remus cleared his throat and spoke for the first time in many minutes. "Is there anything you would like to ask us, Harry?"

Harry thought for a moment. "Why did Vol-Vold-''

"Voldemort," Remus said for him.

Harry nodded. "Why did he want to kill us?"

Remus looked at Sirius, wondering if he was going to tell Harry of the prophecy. Personally, he didn't think it the best idea at the moment. Sirius seemed to be thinking the same.

"I think we should save that for another time, Harry. Is that okay?" Sirius asked. He didn't want to lie to Harry by telling him his parents were killed because they were in the Order or something, though that was probably part of the reason. Sirius wanted to tell Harry the complete truth, but he felt that there was enough for Harry to think about at the moment.

Harry looked up from where he was still sitting quite comfortably in Sirius' lap and nodded.

"Okay," Sirius said in a final tone.

For long moments, the three sat in silence, each going over what had just been discussed. Remus thought they had done a decent job explaining everything to Harry. It was a hard subject to talk about, especially with someone as young as Harry. But they had decided the best way to do it was not to sugarcoat it, just come out and say it. Sometimes being blunt had its advantages.

Harry had to know; he had to understand what he was facing in the world. But if he didn't, Sirius and Remus would always be there to help him understand and to explain it better.

Sirius had left out details of his time in Azkaban purposefully. He was not yet prepared to delve into the subject of dementors and insane fellow prisoners. Not to Harry, not to Remus, not to anybody. He didn't want to even think about Azkaban; dreaming was more than enough. Perhaps he should start studying Occlumency.

"Sirius?" Remus said, breaking into Sirius' thoughts.

Sirius looked questioningly to his friend and realized that Harry had left his spot in Sirius' lap, and had resumed play with his blocks. Sirius smiled softly. He was pleased that Harry could continue on after the conversation they had just had, though Sirius knew that Harry was still thinking about it.

Sirius stood and attempted his mischievous grin. It worked to some effect: Remus' eyes went wide. "I believe I promised a surprise for the two of you at breakfast."

Harry dropped his block and looked up at Sirius in curiosity and excitement. Remus looked... scared?

Sirius laughed and said, "Be right back."

Without another word, he ran to his bedroom, and emerged seconds later. Again, he didn't seem to be carrying anything.

"Close your eyes," he instructed to Remus and Harry. The latter obeyed, but Remus looked skeptical. "It's nothing bad, Remus," Sirius insisted.

Remus hesitated, but closed his eyes nonetheless. He heard Sirius mutter, "_Engorgio" _three times before Sirius told them they could open their eyes once more. Remus did so and saw before him a widely grinning Sirius Black standing next to three brand new, shining broomsticks.

Upon seeing Remus' confused, questioning look, Sirius said happily, "Nimbus 950s! Just came out this month! Beautiful, aren't they?"

Neither Harry nor Remus had the reactions Sirius had been expecting. Harry looked perfectly perplexed and Remus looked back with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Sirius asked. "I thought we could teach Harry to fly, and you can't very well do that on the ancient piece of rubbish you've been riding since second year." Remus still had his eyebrows raised. "Okay, okay. I know it was your dad's, but, Moony, you _need_ a new broom." Remus hadn't shifted a bit. Sirius rolled his eyes. "Okay, lower those damn eyebrows or they're going to be a part of your hairline soon. I haven't been able to buy you or Harry anything in five years. Just let me do this for you, okay?"

Remus' expression softened a bit and Sirius saw a ghost of a smile. If Sirius wanted to buy his friends shiny new brooms, who was Remus to stop him? Besides, they were rather nice...

"I get to fly?" Harry asked excitedly, examining one of the broomsticks with curiosity.

"Yep! Just as soon as we get Remus up and outside, we can start teaching you to fly."

Harry ran to where Remus sat and tugged on Remus' arm. "C'_mon_, Remus! We're going to fly!" the boy said breathlessly.

Remus raised his eyebrows at the small boy; he was barely able to lift Remus' arm. He pulled Harry to him with a squeal of laughter and tickled him.

"Remus!" Harry cried through his laughter. "_Stop!_ Please!"

"Okay, okay," Remus said, releasing Harry with a grin. "Well, what are you two waiting for? If we're going to fly, we need to do it before it gets dark!"

Sirius grinned and threw a broomstick to Remus as he stood. "Last one outside's a Slytherin!" he cried running through the kitchen.

Remus and Harry looked at each other, planning revenge, and headed outside to commence in Harry's first ever flying lesson.

* * *

Location Unknown…

Once again, Wormtail was traveling. This time was different, however; this time he wasn't going after Harry Potter…

He had arrived at the home of Lucius Malfoy in the wee hours of the morning after leaving Surrey. Lucius, to say the least, was not thrilled to see his fellow Death Eater on his doorstep. In fact, Lucius had pulled Wormtail over the threshold of Malfoy Manor by his neck, threw him against a wall, and pointed his wand at Wormtail's heart, demanding to know why he was bothering Lucius and his family.

Wormtail stuttered and stammered through the entire story of the past five years—how he had framed Sirius, hidden in a wizarding home, gone after Harry Potter, how Remus and Sirius had beaten him to it.

Lucius was rather impatient as Wormtail explained his newest plan. But Wormtail knew that Lucius was the only Death Eater who would be cunning enough to pull it off—not to mention, Lucius Malfoy was filthy rich…

In the end, after a great deal of stuttering from Wormtail and looks of disgust from Lucius, Lucius agreed. Now Wormtail was on a new mission. This one could possibly mean a huge surprise for the wizarding world. But Wormtail was determined to right his wrongs from five years ago. And now that Sirius was free once more, he needed something big to happen.

He didn't know where he was headed, but he had once again enlisted the help of a few rats. All he knew was that he was deep inside a very dark forest. Silence surrounded him—the rats refused to accompany him. Apparently, all small animals avoided this place for fear of being eaten by the "shadows."

Out of the corner of his eye, Wormtail spotted something slithering between the trees, across the black ground.

At that very moment, phase one of Wormtail's mission was complete.


	14. Fourteen

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Fourteen_

The day was beautiful and sunny, the sky was a cloudless soft blue, the wind was still, and the temperature was perfect for flying. And that was exactly what Sirius Black and Harry Potter were doing on this marvelous midday.

Since Sirius had brought home three Nimbus 950s, he, Remus, and Harry had been flying every chance they came across. Though the past few weeks, the weather had not been cooperative; it had stormed for a week straight, then it had been too cold to fly. But today was perfect.

"Slow down a bit, Harry!" Sirius called to his godson.

After their first flying lesson with Harry, Sirius and Remus began to come to the conclusion that the five-year-old was more like his father than they had first noticed—Harry took to flying as a mermaid took to water.

Simply, Harry Potter was born to fly.

Regardless of this, Sirius placed a charm on Harry's broom to keep him from falling. It was a good thing, too; Harry liked to fly high and fast.

The look on his face while he was in the air, flying circles around the trees, was enough to send chills down Sirius' spine. He looked exactly like James when he flew: messy black hair in all directions, eyes shining brightly, and the look of pure happiness during a particularly spectacular dive. Sirius was proud as he watched his best friend's son do things most grown wizards could not. And this was just the beginning. With more practice on controlling his turns and dives, Harry was likely to be the best flier since James Potter himself—and that's saying something.

Sirius looked away from Harry for a moment when he heard his name being called from the ground. Remus was waving for them to come down, and he didn't look too happy. Actually, he reminded Sirius of the time James took Harry for a fly when the child was nine months old. Lily wasn't too happy that day, either.

With a smirk, Sirius called to Harry and told him that they would have to stop flying.

"Aw, Sirius! Do we have to?" Harry whined adorably as he flew to his godfather.

Sirius chuckled. "Yes, Harry, we have to. Otherwise, I think Remus might skin us alive... C'mon, down we go."

They began their descent slowly. Harry wasn't too good at this yet, and Sirius didn't feel like explaining a Harry Potter pancake to Dumbledore. A minute later, Sirius landed just in front of Remus. "Moony, old man! Come to fly with us?" he asked in a cheerful voice.

Remus looked with a raised eyebrow, hands still on his hips, at Harry. "You shouldn't have let him fly that high, Padfoot. What if he'd fallen?"

"You sound like Lily." Sirius grinned. "Do you really think I would let him fall?" He walked over to Harry, whose feet had just touched the ground. "_Finite Incantatem,_" he muttered and helped Harry off the broom. "See, Moony, there was no chance he was going to fall. Was there, Harry?"

Harry grinned up at Remus. "Nope! That was fun! Can we go again?"

Remus chuckled. "Maybe later, Harry. Right now, why don't you two help me unpack all the groceries I bought in Diagon Alley?"

The three headed into the house, Sirius took his and Harry's brooms and put them into the hall closet, and went back into the kitchen to help Remus.

"So, Sirius," Remus said casually, "you're never going to guess who I saw in Diagon Alley just now."

"Who's that?" Sirius said distractedly, putting away a case of Butterbeer.

"Mundungus Fletcher," Remus replied.

"Dung?" Sirius asked with a grin. "How is that old crook?"

"He's well," Remus said with a nod. "Told me to tell you 'hello' for him. And he said something about running for Minister of Magic..."

"_Dung's_ going to run for Minister? Are you should he didn't say he was going to run _from_ the Minister?" Remus laughed. "That ought to be interesting..."

"Yes, I can see it now," Remus said dryly. "The Black Cauldron Market suddenly making its mainstream debut right in the middle of Diagon Alley. Chaos everywhere when Minister Dung announces firewhiskey as the cure for colds. Not to mention he'd probably use the Ministry to ship and receive stolen goods."

Sirius laughed. "Yeah, well, better that what they are using it for now." He stopped laughing and looked at Remus thoughtfully. "Why don't you run for Minister, Remus? I think you'd do a pretty damn good job."

It was Remus' turn to laugh. "Me? Run for Minister of Magic?" Sirius nodded eagerly. "I think you've been hit in the head with a bludger too many times." Sirius continued to stare at him. Remus sighed. "First of all, Sirius, I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in politics. Second of all, nobody would vote for a werewolf. Except maybe other werewolves," he added conversationally.

Just as Sirius had opened his mouth to retort, an eager voice came from the kitchen table. "I'll run for Minister of Magic!" Harry said.

Sirius and Remus laughed. "Will you now?" Remus asked, walking to the table to sit next to Harry.

"Yup," he replied simply, kicking his legs under the table happily.

Sirius smiled and shook his head. "That's all well and good, Harry, but if you became Minister of Magic now, you'd never get to go to Hogwarts."

"Really?" Harry questioned, terrified of the very thought of not getting to attend Hogwarts.

"Really," Sirius said, nodding gravely. "So what do you say we forget about your potential future political career until after graduation and see if Moony got us any chocolate?"

At that second, an owl flew through the open kitchen window and dropped a letter in the middle of the table. It left as quickly as it came.

Remus reached out to pick it up with raised eyebrows. No one ever sent him letters. He turned the letter over to find the familiar Hogwarts crest on the back. Remus smiled as he opened the letter and read it to himself.

"What's that about?" Sirius asked, sitting on the other side of Harry.

Remus cleared his throat and read aloud, "'Dear Remus, Sirius, and, of course, Harry, I do hope that I find the three of you well. I, myself, have been enjoying the magnificent weather at Hogwarts by assisting Hagrid to hunt down Cornish Pixies in the Forbidden Forest. They seem to have taken a liking to Hagrid's vegetable garden.' Dumbledore must be lacking in things to do if he's looking for pixies," Remus said.

"Nah, Dumbledore's just a very strange man," Sirius commented. "Continue, please."

Remus chuckled. "'I am sure you are curious to the reason of this letter. It is this: I wonder if the three of you would care to join Professor McGonagall and myself for dinner this evening to discuss a recent event. I shall say no more here. If you do not have any plans, and can attend, please arrive in the Great Hall by six o'clock. Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore'."

Sirius frowned in thought. "Recent event? What could that be?"

Remus shook his head and shrugged. "No idea. But it sounds ser—er—important." Remus and James had learned early on to avoid saying the word "serious" around Sirius Black—that joke got old very quickly.

"Mmm," Sirius said, sipping a Butterbeer. "Well, it's four o'clock now. I say we get ready and go. That way we can show Harry around the grounds a bit. How's that sound, Harry?"

"We get to go to Hogwarts?" Sirius nodded. "Wicked!"

Sirius and Remus grinned at Harry's more than obvious excitement. "Okay, then, go change into a pair of robes, and brush your teeth. No point in even trying with that hair," Sirius said.

Harry didn't need telling twice—he was off like lightning.

Remus chuckled. "You know, Sirius, I'm not really sure we were too bright telling Harry all those Hogwarts stories."

"Why?" Sirius said indignantly.

"Well, because you know the moment he sees Mrs. Norris, he's going to want to chuck a dungbomb at her."

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh. "I don't see a problem with that! We've taught him well, what can I say?"

Forty-five minutes later, once Sirius and Remus showered, they were ready to go. Sirius and Harry had wanted to Floo, but Remus convinced them that Apparating was a much better mode of transportation. "Your clothes don't get dirty when you Apparate," he'd said, using the first excuse that came to his mind.

So Sirius picked Harry up and Apparated just outside Hogwarts grounds. Remus arrived with a soft _pop_ just after them.

"Whoa..." Harry said in amazement as he laid eyes on the Hogwarts castle for the first time.

"Wicked, huh?" Sirius asked with a grin.

"Yeah..."

Sirius put Harry back on the ground, and the child took a hand from each of his guardians as they walked through the gates. The winged boars watched them the entire time they walked.

"This place hasn't changed a bit! Whomping Willow's a tad bigger. Looks like it could still take your head off with one of the weaker branches, though," Sirius said to Remus. The werewolf looked at the tree and could see, far in the distance, the Shrieking Shack he'd occupied during full moon nights at Hogwarts.

A loud bark came from across the grounds, and for a fraction of a second, Remus thought Sirius had transformed. It was Fang the boarhound running to them joyfully across the dark green grass, Hagrid just behind him.

"Sirius! Remus! What're you two doin' 'ere?" Hagrid asked happily.

"Good to see you, Hagrid. We're here to see Dumbledore. Not supposed to be here until six, but we thought we'd show Harry around a little," Sirius said, scratching Fang behind the ears.

"'arry?" Hagrid questioned.

He looked down to the small boy standing between Sirius and Remus. Harry looked back, awestruck by Hagrid's size. Hagrid gasped. He knelt down to get a better look at Harry, though he was still taller than Remus. "'ello, Harry. Haven't seen you since you was a baby. Look like James, you do. But you got Lily's eyes..." He trailed off looking misty-eyed.

Remus decided it was best to change the subject before Hagrid became too emotional and tried to give Harry a hug. He'd had a Hagrid hug before, and he hadn't been able to touch his ribs for a week. He didn't want to imagine what it would do to Harry. "So, Hagrid, how are things going?" he asked.

Hagrid sniffed loudly and stood. "Ah, things're goin' well, Remus. I was jus goin' ter feed the squid. Wanna come along?"

Harry looked up at Sirius and Remus with wide excited eyes. "Can we see the squid? Can we?"

Sirius looked at Remus, amused. Remus shrugged, hiding a smile. "I don't see why not. Just as long as we're not in Hagrid's way."

"'Course yer not in the way! Come on, then!"

Hagrid led them to the edge of the lake. Harry watched in fascination as Hagrid called the giant squid to the surface. A long pink tentacle stretched out of the water. Harry touched it. "It's slimy," he declared with a giggle.

Sirius and Remus allowed Harry to play with the squid for a bit longer, said goodbye to Hagrid, and continued along the grounds.

They showed Harry the Quidditch pitch (recalling memorable games), the edge of the Forbidden Forest (Harry wanted to go in, but both Sirius and Remus told him "another time"), and the greenhouses (they told Harry about the time James had charmed a Mandrake to profess his undying love to Lily through the plant. He earned a week's detention from Sprout and a slap in the face from Lily for the little stunt, even though she later admitted it was a good bit of charm work on his part).

At last, it was time to head to the Great Hall. The Hogwarts corridors were empty; most of the professors had gone home for the summer holidays. The two Marauders told their junior Marauder where all the common rooms were, how to get into the kitchens, and the best way to get Madam Pomfrey to let you out of the hospital wing a day early ("Just turn on the charm," Sirius said. "Works every time.") in the time it took them to get to the hall.

The large golden doors were wide open when they entered. Harry looked all around until his eyes locked on to the charmed ceiling. Remus caught the look on Harry's face and chuckled. "Impressive, isn't it?" he said. He had had the exact look on his face the first time he walked into the Great Hall in first year.

"Uh huh," was the response. Harry was still staring upwards.

"Ah! And here are our guests now!" said a welcoming voice.

The staff table had disappeared. In its place was a large round wooden table set for five people.

"Professor Dumbledore, how are you, sir?" Remus asked, shaking the Headmaster's hand.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Remus, I've told you before: call me Albus." Remus laughed and nodded. "That goes for you as well, Sirius. The two of you are no longer students; no need to carry on such formalities."

Sirius grinned and shook Dumbledore's hand next. "Can I call you Albie?" the younger wizard asked.

Dumbledore looked sternly over his half-moon spectacles. "Only if you wish to discover the true uses of some of those spectacular objects in my study."

Sirius' eyes went wide with surprise, and a little fear, until he noticed Dumbledore's eyes give away his humor. He grinned again. "Maybe some other time, Albus."

Dumbledore sighed, but smiled. "Nobody ever takes that offer. No matter, it is always there if you change your mind." The headmaster looked down and spotted Harry. "And young Mr. Potter, how are you today?"

Harry smiled shyly. "Fine, sir. How are you?"

Dumbledore smiled widely. "Very well, Harry. Thank you for asking. Now let's have a seat and start what is sure to be a magnificent treat for our taste buds."

Sirius and Remus greeted and introduced Harry to McGonagall who had been staring at Harry since they had walked through the doors. They avoided another hugging episode, such as the one that took place with Sirius, but just barely. McGonagall had tears in her eyes as she shook the hand of Lily and James' son. But Dumbledore said loudly, "Pork chops!" as McGonagall moved closer to Harry.

Jumping in surprise, Remus turned to face Dumbledore. Pork chops and side dishes had just appeared on his golden plate. Dumbledore threw Remus a discreet wink as McGonagall took her seat, and he sat down across from the Headmaster. Remus grinned and said into his plate, "Steak and baked potato!" His order appeared instantly with a Butterbeer to drink.

McGonagall ordered salad and chicken, while Sirius had the same as Remus. Harry stared at amazement and confusion as everyone's food appeared. Sirius decided to help him out. "What would you like to eat, Harry?"

Harry thought for a moment, before saying, "Grilled cheese!" A second later, a grilled cheese sandwich (with extra gooey cheese) appeared with a pile of chips on the side.

As the five ate their meals, Sirius and Remus filled Dumbledore on the happenings of the last few weeks. Dumbledore was pleased to note the obvious happiness from both wizards, and Harry as well.

Once dinner and dessert had finished nearly an hour and a half later, they all walked together to Dumbledore's office. (Well, the adults walked; Harry had to be carried by Sirius—all the food he had eaten made him drowsy.)

Dumbledore spoke the password, "Licorice wands," and the stone gargoyle sprang open. They walked up the spiral staircase and into the office. Sirius laid Harry down on the sofa next to the Headmaster's desk where he fell asleep minutes later.

McGonagall conjured three chairs, and they all sat, waiting for Dumbledore to speak. He began immediately. "Thank you both for coming on such short notice this evening," he said, sitting in his chair. Remus and Sirius nodded. "The recent event I was speaking of in my letter today was a sighting of Peter Pettigrew." Dumbledore raised a hand out to Sirius before he began to speak. "Now, the reason I did not inform you of this when it happened was because I thought the two of you had enough to worry about when the sighting occurred." Dumbledore paused, preparing himself for their reactions. "Pettigrew was present at Number Four, Privet Drive just before you arrived to retrieve Harry. He was hiding in the bushes just in front of Harry when you went outside. He left just after you did."

Remus paled, and Sirius seemed to absorb his friend's lost color in his face. Both were angry.

Dumbledore continued. "A team of Aurors were sent to investigate, and there is no sign as to where Pettigrew may have gone. They believe he remained in his Animagus form the entire time he was in the neighborhood."

"How do you know it was him, sir?" Remus asked quietly.

"I have had wards in place since Harry began living with his aunt and uncle. The wards would alert me if a witch or wizard entered the neighborhood. That day the alarms here in my office sounded—alerting me that a wizard entered Privet Drive. I paid them no mind at the time; I believed it to be the two of you arriving at Arabella Figg's home, but a second alarm never came concerning a second wizard. The alarm that did sound, however, was one signaling a _Death Eater's_ arrival. The wards were charmed to recognize the Dark Mark. Once the information came back to me, I was sure it was Pettigrew."

Sirius held onto the arms of his chair so tight his knuckles were turning white. "What the hell was he doing there?" he asked through gritted teeth, looking infuriated.

"Isn't it obvious?" Remus asked in a hoarse voice of realization. He was looking past Sirius.

Sirius followed his line of sight straight to Harry and felt his jaw drop. "Harry?" he asked perplexed. "What would Wormtail want with Harry?"

Dumbledore spoke again, all twinkling in his now dark blue eyes absent, no trace of a smile on the old wizard's face. "I have a few theories. Perhaps Pettigrew believes that by—_finishing_—Harry off, it will return Voldemort to power." McGonagall winced; nobody noticed. "Perhaps he wishes revenge on Harry for destroying his master. Or perhaps, he has other plans..."

* * *

Two hours later, Sirius and Remus sat shaking at the kitchen table in the cottage. Harry had been put to bed; he was asleep when they left Hogwarts, and did not even wake when they Apparated home.

"You do realize, Remus," Sirius said to the table, "that the _rat_ was just feet from us... from Harry..."

Remus looked at Sirius, still slightly pale. "Yeah, I realized that," he said quietly.

"If we had wasted just one more minute dealing with Petunia, Wormtail would have taken him."

"I know."

"What I'd like to know is what the bastard wants with him."

"I don't know, Sirius. I wish I did. But all we can do is make sure Harry is safe, and Wormtail doesn't come anywhere near him," Remus said, looking out the window at the starry night.

"Oh, you can count on that," Sirius said as he stood and began to pace angrily. "I swear to god, Remus, if he lays one slimy hand on Harry's head, I will kill him. I don't care if I do go back to Azkaban. I will kill Wormtail."

Remus said nothing. He suspected Sirius would kill Wormtail on sight regardless of whether or not Harry had been harmed. Remus had had the exact same thoughts.

What plans could Wormtail have?

What did these plans have to do with Harry?

Why couldn't their lives just be quiet and normal?

* * *

The next morning, Mad-Eye Moody arrived at the cottage to increase and strengthen the wards around the property on Dumbledore's request. Once he finished, the aged Auror pulled Sirius outside.

"I have a proposition for you, Black," he growled.

Sirius raised his eyebrows in question. "Okay," he said slowly.

"You and Potter were the two best Aurors I had those three years. Irresponsible at times, but damn good at tracking down Death Eaters. Now, my question for you Black is this: Do you still have your Auror's license?"

Sirius was dazed by the question, but recovered quickly. "My Auror's license? Er, yeah, I do. Remus and I found it in some old boxes... Why?"

"Good, good. In that case, I want you to come back to the Ministry once Fudge is gone. We need all the top people we can get." Moody's wooden-like face formed into a twisted smile. "What do you say?"

Sirius was dumbfounded. Moody wanted him back at the Ministry—as an Auror. Sirius had wanted to be an Auror since he was thirteen and had seen James' father in action. His time catching Death Eater's had been the proudest of Sirius' life.

Did he want to pick up where he left off before he was sent to Azkaban?

Did he want to prove to the world that he wasn't a mass murdering psychopath?

Did he want to show Harry what it was that his father had done so well?

Did he want to assist in the search and capture of Wormtail?

"Where do I sign, Mad-Eye?" Sirius said with a grin.

Moody held out a scarred hand and shook Sirius'.

Sirius Black was going to be an Auror once again.


	15. Fifteen

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Fifteen_

29 July 1986 brought along with it the first full moon since Sirius Black reentered the wizarding world. It was also the first full moon in which Harry Potter would think of the white ball in the sky as more than just "pretty." More importantly, however, was the fact that this full moon would be the first test for Remus Lupin.

If the Wolfsbane Potion he had gotten from St. Mungo's did its job correctly, Remus would be able to keep control of himself in wolf form—something he hadn't been able to do since his Hogwarts days. For three days, Remus forced himself to drink the bitter potion (sugar made it completely useless, unfortunately), and on the afternoon before his transformation, he could already sense a difference.

"The wolf's pull isn't as strong as normal," he explained to Sirius. "I don't feel as weak as I usually do."

"You're still pale, though. A bit sweaty too," remarked Sirius as he cast a critical, concerned eye over his friend.

"Well, yes, but I think that's because of the coming transformation. I don't know. Guess we'll just have to wait until moonset to know for sure."

"You'll do fine," Sirius said encouragingly. "I just wish I could stay with you, you know? Like the good old days."

Remus smile reminiscently. "Yes, that would be great. But you've got to take Harry to Hogwarts. I don't want to take any chances with him being here. And if you back out now, we are going to have an angry child on our hands."

Sirius laughed. "True, very true. And we wouldn't want him angry on his birthday, now would we?"

"Definitely not," Remus agreed, looking around the kitchen. "Speaking of Harry... any idea where he is?"

Sirius craned his neck to look in the living room. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "He was in there playing with those little flying dragon things you gave him."

Indeed, there were dragons flying around the room, breathing fake fire, one a Hungarian Horntail, but no sign of Harry.

"Maybe he's in his room," Remus suggested.

Together, Sirius and Remus crossed the short hallway to the half open door of Harry's bedroom. They opened the door completely to find the child in question sitting on his bed, holding an upside down book. Turning their heads simultaneously to the side, Sirius and Remus read the title: _Alice in Wonderland_—it had been Lily's favorite book and Remus thought Harry should have a copy as well.

"What are you doing, Harry?" Sirius asked with a smile.

Without looking up, Harry turned a page in his book and said, "Reading."

Remus held back a laugh. "You are aware, Harry, that your book is upside down, aren't you?"

Harry looked at his guardians for half a second, and then at the cover of the book. He nodded that he was quite aware of the position of his book and went back to "reading."

Sirius raised his eyebrows and smiled wider. "Okay then, Harry. Since you would rather stay here and read, I suppose I will have to go to Hogwarts all by myself."

The sentence had the reaction Sirius had expected: Harry quickly closed his book, a large smile forming on his smile on his tanning face, and jumped off his bed.

"We're going to Hogwarts, now?" Harry asked in childish excitement.

"Soon," Sirius said with a grin. "First, we need to get you packed."

Harry was already at his closet throwing everything he owned to the floor, attempting to stuff it all into an overnight bag.

Remus stopped him. "Whoa, Harry!" he said, crossing the room. "Hang on a second. You're only going for the night; you only need pajamas, clothes to where tomorrow, and your toothbrush."

Harry ceased emptying his closer and looked at Remus. "Oh," he said with a sheepish smile.

Remus chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Yes, oh. Now, let's get all this back into the closet, okay?"

While Remus and Harry re-hung robes and shirts into the closet, Sirius leaned on the doorframe in high amusement. Once they'd finished, and properly packed Harry's overnight bag, Harry ran past Sirius to the fireplace, waiting to leave.

"What is it with that boy and Floo?" Remus muttered.

Sirius laughed as he followed Remus to where Harry stood with his bag slung over his shoulder waiting rather impatiently.

"Come on, Sirius! We have to go!" Harry exclaimed, tugging Sirius' hand.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you forgetting something, Harry?'

Harry dropped Sirius' hand and thought. After a moment, his green eyes widened in realization. "My broomstick!" he cried. Harry dropped his bag onto the floor next to Sirius and ran back to his bedroom. He returned a second later, carrying his prized possession.

Remus exchanged an amused look with Sirius. "Er, Harry, I think Remus wants a hug before we go," Sirius said as he took his godson's broomstick and bag, and nudged the child towards Remus.

Harry grinned sheepishly. "I knew that," he said, hugging Remus tightly. Remus chuckled.

With a kiss on his forehead, and another ruffle of his hair, Remus released Harry. He stood back up, and shook Sirius' hand.

"Good luck tonight," Sirius said.

"Yeah, thanks. Well, you better get going. Sunset is coming."

"All right, then; come on, Harry," Sirius said before shrinking his and Harry's broomsticks and placing them in his pocket. He then reached down and picked Harry up.

"You two have fun. Don't give McGonagall too many grey hairs," Remus said in mock sternness.

"Never!" Sirius and Harry exclaimed in unison.

Remus backed away from the fireplace as Sirius clearly said their destination ("Hogwarts, Headmaster's office!"), and with a final wave from Harry, they were gone in a whirl of green flames. Remus' eyes drifted from the fireplace to the window subconsciously. The sun was beginning to set. In an hour or so, the moon would be out and Remus would know for sure about this new potion.

He walked into the kitchen and had a quick sandwich before uncorking the final flask of Wolfsbane Potion. "Well, here goes—something, I hope," he said to himself. He swallowed the last of his potion with a grimace at the taste, and headed to the basement to prepare for the night ahead.

* * *

Sirius stepped out of the whirl of flames and set Harry down to the floor. Both automatically began to dust themselves off from the ride. Sirius looked around the room; Dumbledore's office was empty.

Well, no, not completely empty; Fawkes the phoenix sat high on his golden perch eyeing the visitors warily.

Harry stepped closer to examine the exotic bird; Fawkes hadn't been in the office during Harry's last visits. Fawkes stretched out a bright red wing to Harry; Harry reached out his arm to Fawkes. They seemed to be shaking hands—or wings... or... something. Sirius watched on in interest as Fawkes flew onto Harry's outstretched arm. He had only seen the phoenix do that with two other people: Albus Dumbledore and Lily Evans.

Harry turned around slowly to face his godfather. "Look, Sirius," Harry said, smiling.

Sirius returned the smile. "I think he likes you, Harry."

Harry smiled wider to Sirius and went back to studying Fawkes.

"What is he?" Harry asked, stroking the bird's feathers.

"That, Harry, is a phoenix," said a gentle voice from the doorway.

Harry and Sirius looked over into the smiling face of Albus Dumbledore. The headmaster walked to where Harry stood with Fawkes, and kneeled down. "Phoenixes are a very rare breed of bird. They are highly loyal and intelligent creatures, they can carry immensely heavy objects, and their tears hold healing powers."

Harry looked away from Dumbledore and back to Fawkes, highly impressed. "Wow," he mumbled softly.

Dumbledore stood and smiled, turning to Sirius. "Hello, Sirius, how are you?"

"Fantastic, sir, thank you for letting us stay here tonight," Sirius said, shaking Dumbledore's hand.

"Not at all, Sirius. I am delighted to have the both of you here," Dumbledore said. "How is Remus fairing?"

Sirius smiled. "He's okay, sir," he said truthfully. "A little nervous about that potion, but he says he already feels a difference."

Dumbledore smiled back. "Wonderful. Remus deserves a little peace of mind during rough times. Well, I am sure the two of you want to get settled in for the night. If you are hungry, I am in no doubt that the house-elves will be more than thrilled to accommodate you."

"Great, thank you again, sir. Come on, Harry, let's drop our stuff off and explore the castle."

Harry was reluctant to leave Fawkes, but after being assured—by both Sirius and Dumbledore—that he could see Fawkes again, Harry followed Sirius out of the office. They walked through the deserted corridors, occasionally passing a ghost or a painting Sirius stopped to chat with. After a long walk, they reached a room just across form the Gryffindor dormitories. The main room was arranged much like the Gryffindor common room, it was just a bit smaller. Three doors led to a bathroom and two bedrooms. Sirius directed Harry to his room, then went to his own. The four-poster bed in the center was exactly like his old one had been in school: big and comfortable. Gryffindor colors surrounded the room, and a large window showed the beautiful Hogwarts sunset.

Sirius dropped his bag into an armchair and retrieved the broomsticks from his pocket. He sat them on the bed to enlarge them when he noticed a rather large lump under the blankets. Curious, he pulled the blankets back revealing a brown package tied in white string, and a note with his name on it. He opened the note and read:

_Sirius —_

_I believe you know what this is, and its interesting history. _

_James left it in my possession before he died; he wished for it to be passed on to Harry when he reached the appropriate age. _

_I thought you would like to have it._

_Use it well._

—_A.D._

Sirius reread the note three times before he took it all in. Whatever was in this package had been James'. It had been left in Dumbledore's possession (Sirius knew that's who "A.D." was), and was to be passed on to Harry.

_It can't be..._ Sirius thought. He pulled the string off the package, and opened the paper. He gasped.

A silvery liquid like material fell onto Sirius' lap. He picked it up and placed it over his arms—his arms vanished instantly.

James' Invisibility Cloak.

Sirius sat on the edge of the bed shaking slightly. Of course he knew this object. The number of times he, James, and Remus had used it for a prank, or to go to the kitchens, or to sneak into Hogsmeade was in the thousands, at least.

Memories flooded over Sirius. James had come back from Christmas break in first year, and had gathered the Marauders—yet to be named, of course—in their dormitory and had shown it to them. It had been an heirloom passed through the Potters—from father to son—for centuries. Immediately the boys had thrown it over themselves and proceeded to wreak havoc in the Gryffindor common room.

In later years, James would use it when he and Lily snuck off to the Astronomy Tower to—

"Why are you crying, Sirius?" Harry said from the door.

Sirius looked up; he had not realized he had been crying again. He hastily wiped the tears from his cheeks and smiled at Harry. "Come here, Harry," he said.

Harry walked over to the four-poster bed, and with a little help, managed to climb up.

"What's that?" Harry asked, pointing to the cloak next to his godfather.

Sirius smiled widely. "This, Harry, was your dad's Invisibility Cloak."

Harry's eyes widened—he had heard stories about the cloak and the Marauder's Map. "Really?" he asked reaching for the cloak. Sirius handed it to him. "This was my dad's?"

"Yes, it was. And when you start Hogwarts, it's all yours."

"Can I try it on?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Sure." Sirius grinned.

Harry stood on the bed with the cloak. He wrapped it around himself and vanished. The only thing proving he had been there at all was the small foot shapes moving along on the bed.

"Turn to the mirror," Sirius said.

"Whoa! I'm gone!" came Harry's excited voice.

Sirius laughed. "Well, that would be the point of and _Invisibility_ Cloak, now wouldn't it?" He heard Harry laugh. "Okay, let's get that put away somewhere safe and go eat."

Harry obeyed and a second later, he reappeared next to Sirius, grinning. "That was awesome."

Sirius grinned back and ruffled Harry's hair as he stood. "Come on, kid, let's go to the kitchens."

Harry jumped on Sirius' back and they headed to the kitchens. Sirius showed Harry precisely where to tickle the painting to get the golden doorknob to appear.

"Don't tell Dumbledore I showed you that," Sirius said. He received a giggle in return.

They walked into the kitchens and were immediately greeted by a dozen house-elves. Sketch, the elf who had served Sirius and Remus on their first night back in the castle, was in the front, bowing low to the ground.

"What can we get sir and little sir this evening?" Sketch asked, standing properly.

"Let's see, I think we'll have a couple of chicken sandwiches, some crisps, and a couple of slices of cherry pie for dessert," Sirius said.

Instantly, the house-elves pushed Harry and Sirius to a small table and sat them down. Their food arrived a moment later, fresh and hot. Sirius received a butterbeer, and Sketch gave Harry an ice cold glass of pumpkin juice.

"Thanks, everyone," Sirius said to the house-elves. "This looks incredible."

The elves beamed and bowed themselves away.

Sirius began to dig in while Harry stared at the house-elves in awe. "What are those things?" he asked quietly.

"House-elves," Sirius said thickly through a mouthful of chicken. "They work here. Well, not work; they don't get paid or anything. But they're the best house-elves in the country!"

A few house-elves around them beamed and blushed.

* * *

Once finished with their meals an hour later (the plates kept refilling themselves), Sirius and Harry decided they were too full to fly and headed back to their rooms. On the way, they ran into a familiar face. (Notice I didn't say "friendly.")

"_Black_," said the oily voice of Captain Slytherin himself, Severus Snape.

"_Snivellus_," Sirius retorted coldly.

Snape curled his lip and looked down sharply at Harry. The boy cowered behind his godfather's legs. "And this must be... Harry Potter," Snape said softly. "Yes, I see the resemblance to Potter Senior... Tsk... Quite unfortunate to have inherited his father's looks, I must say. Has he got his father's arrogance as well?"

Sirius drew himself up angrily. "Get lost, _Snivelly_, or we are going to have a repeat of fifth year."

Snape's head snapped up to meet Sirius' cold furious glare equally. He looked around the corridor behind Sirius before speaking again. "But where is Lupin?" he said in mock-confusion. "Ah, yes, that's right. Werewolf, full moon. He's probably tearing himself to shreds as we speak. Good riddance; this world needs to rid itself of filthy monsters such as that."

It happened in a flash: Sirius' wand was pointed sharply into Snape's throat; Snape returned the favor.

"I'm warning you, _Snivellus_, one more word..."

"Sirius..." said a terrified voice some distance behind Sirius.

Sirius moved his eyes to Harry. He had moved away and was now cowering against the wall, crying. Immediately, Sirius dropped his wand from Snape, placed it in his cloak pocket, and rushed to Harry. He scooped the child up and whispered apologies and comforting words. Finally, Harry began to calm.

"How touching," Snape said coldly.

Sirius stood and hid Harry's head in his shoulder, retrieving his wand and wondering what the best way to curse Snape with. But at that very instant, Peeves the Poltergeist—partner to the Marauders since the beginning—swooped down and dumped a bucket of ice cold water on Snape's head.

"PEEVES!" Snape roared.

Harry and Sirius were in fits of laughter. Peeves came by once more and poured a bottle of flowery smelling shampoo on Snape's wet hair, blew a raspberry at the professor, grinned at Sirius, and disappeared. Sirius had to set Harry down before he dropped him from laughing so hard. With a final look of pure hatred to Sirius and Harry, Snape stormed to the dungeons, removing the shampoo, and drying his wet hair with a wave of his wand.

But even after he had turned a corner, Snape could still hear the question Harry asked, "Sirius, wasn't that Professor Potato Head?" Sirius' barking laughter echoed loudly through the corridors.

* * *

In the very late hours of the night, the Hogwarts corridors seemed completely deserted to the naked eye. This, however, was not the case; if one were to strain one's ears, one could hear the soft footsteps of Sirius Black. He and Harry had decided a little late night exploration was in order. They headed out under the Invisibility Cloak and walked quietly through the castle.

They had passed Dumbledore once. Harry had been quiet as a church mouse, not wanting to draw attention to them, but the old wizard sent a small smile and wink in Sirius' direction, and continued on seemingly oblivious. Harry noticed nothing.

Somehow during their journey—Sirius couldn't think of how—they had arrived in front of Argus Filch's office door.

_Hmm... all the possibilities,_ Sirius thought to himself with a grin.

Harry jumped a bit in Sirius' arms as Peeves appeared next to them, attempting to rig a bust of an old wizard above the door so that it fell on Filch and Mrs. Norris when they entered.

"Peeves," Sirius whispered. Peeves nearly dropped the bust, looking around stupidly. "Peeves, it's me, Sirius."

Peeves grinned. "Ooooh, Seriously Sirius Black!"

"Yeah, listen, Peeves, I need a distraction from Filch and his cat. Can you break something, say, on the seventh floor?"

Peeves mock-saluted and disappeared.

Moments later, Sirius heard a crash. "Stay here, Harry. Stay under the cloak," he said quickly, setting Harry down.

He ducked out from under the cloak and looked around the empty corridor once more before he opened Filch's door. The office smelled as terrible as ever—rotten eggs, bad milk, and fish—but Sirius was too wrapped up in his mission to care. He spotted the filing cabinet in the corner of the office: "Confiscated and Highly Dangerous," and headed straight for it. He started with the "M's," but turned up nothing. Sirius was pleased to see that the Marauders had their own drawer to themselves; he would have to check that out another time; it wasn't there, either.

"P." Sirius yanked opened the drawer and peered inside. There, right under the exploding peanuts, was where it lay in all its glory. A little aged and wrinkled, a slight tear in the right hand corner, but otherwise just as Sirius remembered it to be. He quickly, but very gently, placed the Marauder's Map into his robes and went back to the corridor to fetch Harry.

"Harry?" he called quietly searching the deserted halls.

"Over here," he heard somewhere to his left.

Harry held open the cloak and Sirius picked both up. He pulled the cloak over himself, and proceeded to their rooms.

* * *

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Sirius said as he tapped the parchment with his wand.

Immediately, lines formed from the middle of the parchment revealing the Marauder's Map. Sirius reread the heading for the millionth time in his life, remembering all the late nights of hard work to create this work of art.

_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs_

_Purveyors to Magical Mischief-Makers_

_Are proud to present_

_The Marauder's Map_

"Wow," Harry muttered, staring at the map in amazement.

"Yeah... wow..." Sirius grinned. He never thought he would be looking upon this again.

"You made this?" Harry asked his godfather.

"Well, I helped. Your dad and Remus were the genius behind it."

They watched Dumbledore pace around his study; McGonagall walk to and from the kitchens; Filch and Mrs. Norris stalk Peeves. They watched the map until they fell asleep together on Sirius' bed.

* * *

"So, Moony, how'd the night go?" Sirius asked as he and Harry came through the fireplace the next morning.

Remus sat on the sofa with a large, tired smile on his face, waiting for them. "Brilliantly!" he declared, standing up. "Never lost control once, Sirius! Just curled up in the corner, a harmless wolf!" He showed Sirius his arms and back, proving the fact that he had not once bitten or scratched himself.

"That's great! I'm very happy for you!" Sirius said, following Remus and Harry to the kitchen.

"So how was your night?" Remus asked as he served Harry cereal and pumpkin juice.

Sirius and Harry told him everything about their night at Hogwarts. Fawkes the phoenix, the kitchens, Snape, Peeves, but he saved the best for last.

"You will never, in a million years, guess what we brought back!" Sirius grinned happily.

"What?" Remus asked, sipping a cup of coffee. "Not Hagrid's rock cakes, I hope."

"Better. Close your eyes."

Remus did as instructed. He heard a familiar noise, but couldn't quite place it at the moment.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now."

Remus did. Sirius was there, but Harry was not. "What did you do to him?" Remus asked dryly with a raised eyebrow.

Sirius continued to grin and pointed at Harry's cereal bowl. The spoon was moving seemingly to its own accord, and cereal was disappearing into thin air.

"No way..." Remus muttered, moving towards Harry with his hand outstretched.

"Way." Sirius grinned wider.

Remus smiled broadly at Sirius as he pulled the Invisibility Cloak from Harry's head. Harry tilted his head back and grinned up at Remus. Remus held the fluid-like material over his arms exactly as Sirius had the night before.

"There's more," Sirius said, reaching into his robes. He pulled out the map and held it out to Remus.

Remus stared wide-eyed at the parchment in his friend's hand before trading the cloak for the map. He pulled his wand from his pocket and tapped the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Remus watched in stunned amazement as the map formed. "You actually did it... I can't believe you did it," he mumbled over and over, watching the figures of Hogwarts move.

"I had a little help from old Peevesy and Harry," Sirius said as he watched Remus' joyful face.

Remus looked away from the map and grinned at Harry and Sirius. "This, my friends," referring to the map and cloak, "marks a new chapter in Marauder history."

The rest of the day and part of the night was spent looking through photo albums and relaying stories to Harry about the Marauder days, and just staring at the map.

By nine o'clock, Harry was fast asleep between Sirius and Remus on the sofa. The map lay open before them on the coffee table. Remus closed the photo album while Sirius picked up Harry to take him to bed.

Before they left the room, both Sirius and Remus grinned at each other as they tapped the map simultaneously with their wands and said, "Mischief managed."


	16. Sixteen

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Sixteen_

_It was a day to be celebrated and remembered by the friends and family of Harry James Potter. One year ago, lives were changed forever when this little bundle of joy entered their worlds and hearts. Priorities were different, daily routines were different, even the language used when one was around Harry was different (or Lily would teach you the finer side of her Charms use)._

_Today, the immaculate backyard that Lily Potter had worked so hard to perfect was decorated with balloons and banners. A large table sat against the two-story cottage holding a vast variety of food that would even satisfy Sirius' and James' never-ending hungers._

_Currently, the backyard was empty, but within the hour, it would be full with the Marauders, the Longbottoms, and other members of the Order of the Phoenix._

_Inside the magnificent home of the Potters, smells of freshly baked cakes, cookies, and sweets filtered through the walls. Pictures lined the walls. From Lily's first ultrasound to just three days before the birth of their son, to pictures of James and his friends, to family that had been lost in previous years. The Potters loved taking pictures. Lily preferred using a Muggle camera at times to capture the moment exactly as it was._

_  
Speaking of Lily, she could be found putting the finishing touches on Harry's birthday presents. She and James had gone a bit overboard with the gifts, but neither gave a damn; it was their little man's first birthday, and they were going to spoil him rotten today._

_As she put a ribbon around the toy broomstick James had __insisted__ on buying, Lily heard two different pairs of giggling from above her. She smiled softly; she'd recognize their laughs anywhere... Lily placed the broom with the other presents, and walked up the stairs. Turning left, she found the source of the giggling two doors down from her and James' bedroom. She leaned on the doorframe and watched James tickle Harry through the bars of his crib._

"_...And that, Harry, is how mummy and daddy fell in love," James said, leaning down to kiss his son's messy hair._

_Lily smiled as she walked behind her husband and wrapped her arms tightly around his chest. "I do hope, my love, that you aren't filling our son's mind with horrid lies," she said, kissing James' shoulder._

_James chuckled. "Oh, my dearest Lily flower, I would never__ dream__ of doing such a thing."_

_James turned to face Lily, wrapping his own arms around her. Lily leaned her head up to allow him to kiss her. But before they could become too wrapped up in one another, James felt something soft hit him in the back of his head, followed by the sound of happy giggling. James jumped, and as a result, smacked heads with Lily._

"_Ow," Lily said, rubbing her forehead._

_This ensued more giggling from behind James. They both turned to look at their son. He was standing in his crib, holding the bars, with a mischievous grin that he inherited from his father. James reached down to the floor and picked up a stuffed quaffle. He turned back to his son with a matching grin._

"_Keep that up, Harry, and you'll be Gryffindor's star Chaser!" he said, ruffling Harry's hair softly._

_Lily laughed. "No, no. Harry's going to pick up something less dangerous to fill his time. Aren't you, sweetie?" she said, taking Harry from his crib. He responded with something that sounded strangely like "dungbomb." Lily glared at James for a second, before leaving the room._

_James followed in mock-outrage. "And what would you suggest he do, Lily?"_

_Lily didn't answer immediately. As she walked down the stairs, she looked over her shoulder to James with a grin and said, "Gobstones Club."_

_

* * *

_

_Two hours later, the party was in full swing. James, Sirius and Remus were getting a good telling-off from Lily for trying to spike the punch with firewhiskey. Harry was playing quietly in a playpen setup in the shade with Neville Longbottom._

"_You know, Prongs," Sirius said as Lily walked away to speak with Neville's mother, Alice, and Fabian Prewitt. "You'd think that after all these years, she would learn to trust us just a little bit." He shook his head sadly._

_Remus snorted next to James. "I am sure she would trust us, Padfoot, if we weren't always doing something she didn't approve of."_

_James laughed. "Very true, Moony. She's been telling me since we got married that the three of us need to grow up—"_

"_She's been saying that since __second year__," Sirius interjected._

"—_but we, my dear friends, are Marauders. And, thus, shall never grow up!"_

"_Here, here," chorused Sirius and Remus, clinking their Butterbeer bottles together._

_Remus looked around the backyard as he sipped his drink. People were all over the place, chatting happily and laughing. It was a definite relief to see this after the hard few months the Order had been having. Benjy Fenwick and Dorcas Meadowes, two very important Order Members and wonderful people, had been the latest casualties to Voldemort and his Death Eaters. And things were getting worse; there was word that Voldemort had been targeting the Order personally. No one was sure how he had gotten the names of his enemies, but Voldemort was picking them off one by one. _

_They all needed a break from the war, and just have a good time. Who knew what the coming months would bring? Besides Lily and James always knew how to throw a good party._

_With another sip of his Butterbeer, Remus turned back to his friends. They were discussing possible ways to sneak dungbombs into Moody's cloak._

"_Hey," Remus said, interrupting their plan of attack, "has anyone seen Pete lately?"_

_James looked around the backyard, his smile fading into a slight frown. "He said he'd be here. He had to do something first, wouldn't say what, but he should have been here by now."_

_James wasn't blind—well, without his glasses he was, but that is another story. The point is, he'd begun to notice Peter's lateness, disappearances, and absences from many gatherings as of late. It made him wonder what Peter was up to... what he had gotten himself into. He didn't dare voice his worries aloud to his friends—he hadn't even told Lily. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that Peter just had a new girlfriend, and was nervous about introducing her to his friends. _

"_Wormy!" Sirius said loudly._

_Peter had just walked through the backdoor, looking pale and shaken. He was grinning, however, and held a small, clumsily wrapped package._

"_Hey," he said, walking to his friends. "Sorry I'm late, Prongs. B-but I had to be, er, s-somewhere."_

_James opened his mouth to comment, but Lily cut him off. "Peter! You're here!" she said, crossing the yard to where the Marauders stood. "We haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been?" She hugged Peter and he winced slightly. No one but James noticed._

_Peter pulled from Lily's embrace and swallowed nervously. Again, only James noticed. "I—uh—well, you know, er... around." He gave a shaky laugh. James narrowed his eyes._

"_Well, come on! We've got presents to unwrap and a cake to eat!" Lily said happily._

_She had spoken the magic word. Sirius' eyes widened, and he cried, "CAKE!" as he sprinted across the backyard to Harry and Neville, bouncing up and down like a two-year-old on a sugar high._

_Lily sighed wearily and linked her arms with James and Remus as they crossed the yard. "What are we going to do with him?"_

"_I believe that the hospital wing is in desperate need of cleaning, Lily. It has not been properly sanitized since James and Sirius' last detention. This is according to Madam Pomfrey, of course." Albus Dumbledore had just arrived, his blue eyes sparkling happily, and a large smile on his face._

"_Albus! We weren't sure if you would be able to make it!" Lily said cheerfully as she dropped James' and Remus' arms to shake Dumbledore's hand._

"_I would not have missed it for the world, Lily," Dumbledore said inclining his head._

"_Smashing timing, sir! We were just going to have cake," James said, shaking Dumbledore's hand next._

_Dumbledore chuckled and looked around. "Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked, rubbing his hands together._

_

* * *

_

_Later that night, once the backyard had been cleared of people and cleaned of debris, Lily walked into the living room and sat on the sofa next to James with a content sigh. Sirius was seated across from them in his usual recliner, hands behind his head, legs crossed, and eyes closed. Remus was leaned against the sofa next to Lily, staring drowsily into the roaring fire. Peter left right after the cake had been eaten. He said he had to leave for... somewhere. Through all the excitement, nobody noticed the painful squeak he emitted as he clutched his left forearm._

"_Well, Harry's fast asleep. I think he was a bit exhausted after today," Lily said to the room in general._

_James nodded happily, reaching his arm around his wife and pulling her closer. "Yeah, and just think," he began dreamily, "we get to do this every year from now on."_

_Remus chuckled, still looking into the fire. "You mean, you're going to let him ride you in Animagus form on his sixteenth birthday?"_

_Sirius laughed. Lily felt the corner of her mouth twitch. She didn't like the idea of Harry on the back of any animal—not even if it was James—at such a young age. Lily Potter was rather protective of her son._

"_Absolutely!" James replied happily. "New Potter tradition: Animagus riding for the kiddies!"_

_Lily finally laughed and curled into James. "At least you waited until everybody left. I don't feel like explaining that my husband is in Azkaban, because he became an illegal Animagus at the age of fifteen to help his werewolf best friend to my co-workers on Monday."_

"_James is too good to go to Azkaban, Lillian," Sirius stated cockily. Lily glared at him—she hated being called Lillian._

"_No, Padfoot, that will be you," Remus said with a laugh, looking at Sirius._

"_Me? Why the hell would __I__ go to Azkaban, Moony?"_

"_Because you're a git," Remus said conversationally, turning his head away and looking out the window._

_A pillow flew across the room and hit Remus directly in his head._

_

* * *

_

_By midnight, Sirius and Remus had both gone home, and Lily and James lay awake in bed._

"_Well, Mr. Potter, I do believe today was perfect," Lily said quietly._

_James smiled and kissed the top of Lily's red head. "I do believe you are correct in your assumptions, Mrs. Potter."_

"_And next year is going to be even better."_

"_And the year after that... and after that..."_

_Lily kissed James' chest with a smile. "Yeah," she said dreamily. "Good night, James."_

"_Night, Lil. Love you."_

"_Love you, too," Lily said sleepily._

_That night it was decided by Lily and James Potter that their life was going to be perfect. They would watch their son grow to be a magnificent man. They would have grandchildren running around when they were old and grey. And as for the near future, the couple had discussed having a second child..._

_Three months later, Lily and James Potter were murdered. Their dreams died along with them._

* * *

"Moony, grab those balloons, will you?" Sirius whispered as he peeked down the hall to Harry's bedroom.

The birthday boy was still asleep. Remus crept out the backdoor carrying a dozen red and gold balloons in each hand, which he tethered to the ground with a wave of his wand. Sirius followed him, closing the door quietly.

Remus and Sirius were attempting to recreate the decorations from Harry's first birthday. They had everything from the large tables of presents and food, to the banner that hung between a pair of trees reading: _Happy 6th Birthday, Harry! _Dumbledore had even sent a letter that morning stating that he would drop by if he had a moment.

This backyard wouldn't be nearly as full as the Potter's had been five years previous, but Sirius and Remus were determined to give Harry a wonderful birthday, regardless.

By ten o'clock that morning, the decorations were complete. Sirius and Remus looked around reminiscently, smiling. Both were thinking the same thing: that Lily and James should be here to celebrate with them. This, of course, led to thoughts on the best way to barbeque a rat. Sirius was just thinking that a nice teriyaki glaze would work wonders when Remus spoke.

"We should get Harry up now," he said, looking back to the house with a smile.

Sirius grinned in a way Remus had come to fear, and said, "Allow me, Mister Moony."

Remus closed his eyes and sighed. "This won't be good..." he said, following Sirius inside the house.

Silently walking the path the Harry's bedroom, Sirius transformed into the shaggy black dog Remus had learned to love—unconditionally_,_ he told himself repeatedly.

The dog pushed Harry's door open with his paw. Harry was curled up on his side clutching a stuffed wolf and dog, still sleeping. Remus looked closer at Harry's face and smirked. The dog in front of Remus hesitated for only the slightest second before he leapt onto the bed with a loud playful bark.

Remus laughed aloud as Harry rolled over and smashed a water balloon over Sirius' dog head. Harry, Sirius, and Harry's bed were all soaking wet. The dog growled playfully, pulled Harry's blankets to the floor with his teeth, and turned back into Sirius.

"That, Harry, was bloody brilliant." Sirius laughed. "You're getting better, I must say. We really thought you were asleep."

"Perhaps you did, Padfoot. But, Harry, a little advice: next time try not to smile before smashing water balloons over your oblivious godfather's head," Remus said with a wink to Harry.

Harry smiled as he sat up. "Okay," he said as Remus performed a quick drying spell on all things wet.

Once dry, Sirius grinned again. He sat down next to Harry on his bed. "Happy Birthday, Harry," he said, pulling Harry into a tight hug.

Remus noticed a surprised but pleased look on Harry's face as Remus repeated the greeting.

Sirius stood from the bed, his arms swinging happily and eagerly at his sides. "Well, come on, kid! We've got some surprises for you!"

Harry smiled widely as Sirius took his hand and led him from the bedroom. Remus instructed Harry to close his eyes once they reached the kitchen. When they were positive Harry was not peeking, Remus opened the backdoor and followed Sirius and Harry outside.

In the middle of the backyard, Sirius placed a hand on each of Harry's small shoulders and said, "Okay, Harry, open your eyes."

Harry did, and he was stunned beyond words. He had never had a proper birthday that he could remember; the Dursleys usually gave him a toothpick or just forgot about his birthday altogether.

There were stacks of presents on the table against the cottage. Harry wondered who they were for. He turned slowly around the backyard, finally laying eyes on the banner. Harry wasn't able to read just yet—Remus had only started to teach him the week before—but he recognized his name in gold letters.

He looked up to his guardians and asked quietly, "Is this for me?"

Sirius grinned widely. "No, they're for me," he told the boy, earning Remus' slap at the back of his head. "Of course they're for you, Harry."

Harry shrugged sheepishly, not believing anyone would do this for him. But he knew that Sirius and Remus loved him and they would do nearly anything to make him happy.

"Harry, I don't know about you, but I am dying to know what all those presents are," Remus said, smiling.

Harry looked back to the mountain of presents wrapped expertly, but unlike every other six-year-old boy, he didn't run and begin to rip them open.

Sirius noticed his hesitation, and mentally cursed the Dursleys—this had to be their fault. He gently led Harry to the presents across the yard. Sirius picked up one of the gifts and handed it to Harry.

Harry smiled shyly and peeled off the corner of the wrapping paper carefully; it was very nice wrapping paper, and he did not want to tear it and make a mess.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Harry, just rip it open! That's the best part of birthdays!"

"Thought the best part of birthdays was the cake," Remus said as he sat on the grass next to Harry.

Sirius chuckled and sat as well. "Well, it is, but ripping open the wrapping paper and making a mess is a very close second. So, come on, Harry! Let's see what you've got!"

Harry grinned and quickly ripped the Quidditch wrapping paper to shreds, sending the mini players flying for safety, and uncovered a book: _A Kid's Guide to Quidditch Throughout the Ages._ It was filled with pages of flying witches and wizards, described Quidditch techniques a child could easily understand, and showed all of the different Quidditch teams in the history of the noble sport.

"Wow," he murmured softly. He looked to his guardians with a smile. "Thanks."

Sirius and Remus grinned in return. "Once we get through the rest of these, we can have that delicious cake sitting over there!" Remus said leadingly.

Harry's smile widened as he began to rip through his birthday presents. There were so many he could hardly keep track: new toys, books, clothes, a practice set of a quaffle, bludger (charmed to slow down and chase, but not strike, the player), and a golden snitch, and a set Chudley Cannons child-size robes. The Cannons were James' favorite team; Sirius preferred the Montrose Magpies, while Remus favored Puddlemere United.

Two hours later, once the wrapping paper was cleared, and the cake demolished, Sirius was continuing the tradition of "Ride the Animagus" with Harry when Albus Dumbledore walked through the door with Remus. The sight before them was amusing, to say the very least. Harry was laughing wildly atop the shaggy black dog as they ran through the backyard, occasionally jumping over things.

"And as you can see, sir," Remus said with a laugh, "we are doing our very best to keep Harry safe and sound whilst he is in our care."

Dumbledore chuckled as Sirius leapt for a bird. "I believe you and Sirius are doing an admirable job, Remus. Harry seems to be adapting superbly to his new home."

Remus smiled widely, turning to Dumbledore. "Thank you, sir. That means a lot."

Sirius came to a halt, panting, as Harry jumped off his back.

"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore said. "A very happy birthday to you, young man."

Harry smiled breathlessly while Dumbledore held out a large package wrapped in shimmering purple paper with a large yellow bow on top. "Thank you, sir," he said, taking the gift.

Harry sat on the ground as Sirius transformed back into himself. "Wow, Harry," Sirius said, panting heavily, "you really know how to give a dog its exercise."

Remus and Dumbledore laughed. "You're just out of shape, Padfoot. Perhaps you should cut back on the butterbeer and chocolate frogs—you're starting to get a gut." He patted Sirius on the stomach as he knelt next to Harry.

Sirius looked at Remus, in mock-annoyance. "I, my dear friend, am in pristine shape, thank you very much."

Remus chuckled, letting the argument drop. "Go on, Harry. See what Professor Dumbledore brought for you."

Sirius and Remus laughed as Harry ripped open the wrapping paper with as much—if not more—eagerness as he had with the others. Once the paper was out of the way, Harry gazed at what lay before him: a vast number of wizarding sweets. Everything from cauldron cakes to cockroach clusters.

Sirius peered at the haul of sweets happily. "Not bad at all, Harry. Any licorice wands in there?"

Remus smacked him in the back of the head. "They're Harry's, Sirius," he stated in deflating sternness as he peered at the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans hungrily.

Harry gazed up to Dumbledore, delight written all over his young face. "Thank you, sir," he said again.

Dumbledore smiled back. "You're quite welcome, Harry. I do hope you will enjoy. And just between you and me, keep the sugar quills away from your guardians," he said with a wink. He turned to Sirius and Remus. "I am sorry to say that I must take my leave. The owls should be arriving with letters for the new school year and I must see to them."

Sirius and Remus stood and shook Dumbledore's hand and thanked him for coming.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," he said just as he had five years previously.

Remus led the headmaster inside while Sirius and Harry went through the candy. Before he stepped into the fireplace, Remus glanced outside to be sure Sirius was occupied.

He took a deep breath and said, "Sir, before you go... Have you heard anything about Peter since we last spoke?"

Dumbledore looked through his half-moon spectacles at Remus' anxious face. "I am afraid not, Remus." He put a hand on Remus' shoulder. "But I do believe it will not be long before he commits another mistake and makes himself known. And at that time, we will catch him."

Remus nodded in disappointment. They hadn't seen neither hide nor hair of Wormtail since Dumbledore informed them the rat had been on Privet Drive. After exchanging goodbyes, Dumbledore Flooed back to Hogwarts, leaving Remus with his thoughts.

Perhaps Wormtail had simply gone back into hiding; it was exactly the sort of thing a coward would do, and Remus had no doubt that once Wormtail received word of Sirius' release, he would be scared out of his puny little mind.

There was still the question, however, as to why Wormtail had gone after Harry in the first place. Maybe Dumbledore was right—Wormtail had simply wanted to finish what Voldemort started five years ago. But why now? And what was Wormtail's next plan?

Remus walked to the kitchen door and watched as Sirius chased Harry around the backyard. He watched the remaining members of his family and swore never to let any harm come to either of them. He would do whatever it would take to keep Sirius and Harry from pain and danger.

* * *

Sirius and Harry lay on Harry's bed, flipping through _A Kid's Guide to Quidditch Throughout the Ages_. "So did you have a good birthday, Harry?" he asked lazily as they watched a Cannon's Chaser smash into the ground.

Harry smiled and turned his head to Sirius. "Yeah, it was the best birthday ever!" he said happily.

Sirius smiled and put an arm around Harry. "Good. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Harry asked curiously.

Sirius closed the book and placed it on the bedside table. "I thought you and I could explore the forest a bit. Maybe do a bit of flying in the clearing a few miles from here."

Harry nodded sleepily and curled up against Sirius. Remus walked into the room quietly, a plain brown box behind his back. He cleared his throat quietly. Sirius and Harry turned to him and smiled. "Come on over, Remus. There's plenty of room," Sirius said, moving over a bit for his friend.

Remus walked to the end of the bed, sat, and pulled the box from behind him. Harry and Sirius looked at it questioningly. Remus said quietly, "I forgot this in my room when we took your presents outside. I thought you might like to open it before you go to bed," he said to Harry.

Sirius raised an eyebrow—he didn't recall there being another present... Harry sat up and took the box from Remus with a smile. He opened the lid and pulled out a dark colored stag. Sirius looked over the stag and smiled his approval to Remus—it looked just like James' Animagus form. Sirius was sure Remus had charmed the eyes to be that hazel color.

Harry smiled. "What should I name it?" he asked, looking over the antlers.

"What do you want to name it, Harry?" Sirius asked.

Harry thought for a moment before smiling again. "Prongs," he said simply.

"Prongs is a great name for a stag, Harry," Remus remarked quietly. "A great name."


	17. Seventeen

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Seventeen_

_**Amelia Bones Wins by Five Votes!**_

_Former head of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones, was celebrating last night after she was named Minister of Magic by the Wizengamot. It was a tight race until the end with Lucius Malfoy coming in a close second. Mundungus Fletcher had a mere six votes. Both runners-up were unavailable for comment. _

_Madam Bones had this to say concerning Peter Pettigrew, the alleged murderer of twelve Muggles and supporter of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named:_

"_I plan to work closely with the magical community and Magical Law Enforcement to bring those who have supported He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to justice. I believe that together we can make our world a better place. A place where we can feel safe about our children playing in the sunshine without worrying about attacks—"_

* * *

"Well, it's good to know _someone's_ on top of all this; Fudge sure as hell wasn't," Remus said, setting the paper on the table.

Sirius snorted as he poured milk over his sugarcoated cereal at the kitchen counter. "I'm just glad Malfoy wasn't voted in. I think I would have taken Harry and run off to America or something if that had happened."

Remus turned in his chair and looked at Sirius indignantly. "What about me? You'd just leave me here to deal with that blond-headed git who uses more hair gel in one day than my mother used in a month, while you and Harry chase women in Miami or somewhere?"

Sirius shrugged as he sat across from Remus at the table. "Whatever works for you," he said with a grin.

"Bastard," Remus muttered, laughing.

Sirius swallowed a mouthful of cereal. "So what's on the agenda today, Moony?"

Remus reopened his paper and began to read an article on cauldron thickness. "I don't know. I've got to go to Diagon Alley for a few things, _but_," he added at Sirius' glare, "I figured you and Harry could spend a day here without blowing too many things apart."

Sirius nodded thoughtfully, ignoring Remus' lack of faith in him. "Yeah, I think we can find _something_ to occupy our time."

There was a mischievous sparkle in Sirius' eyes that told Remus instantly that there would be trouble.

"Sirius," Remus said as if talking to a three-year-old. _Three-year-olds would be easier to talk to at times than Sirius…_ he thought to himself. "Please, for the sake of what is left of whatever sanity I may have had before I met you, please, don't do anything stupid," he pleaded.

It had been a week since Harry's birthday. Since then, Sirius and Remus had discovered a few more details about Harry's life with the Dursleys: he had never once received more than a piece of tissue paper or a toothpick for a birthday gift; never received any new toys while his cousin had been spoiled rotten. Sirius had talked of nothing but the best ways to torment the Dursleys.

"What?" Sirius asked with an innocent look Remus had learned to see right through. "What would I do? It's not like I was planning to move Figgy off the street and blow up the entire neighborhood or anything." He paused. "That's not a bad idea actually," he added thoughtfully.

Remus let his head drop into his arms in exasperation. "Sirius, please!" he said, his voice muffled through his arms. "Harry's out of there now. He's happy. And as much as I dislike the Dursleys for what they did to him, it's over; let it go!"

They had gone over this a hundred times at least, but Sirius Black—if nothing else—was stubborn.

"You really think I'm just going to let them get away with what they did to Harry? What do you think Lily and James would do if they knew who he had been living with and how he was treated? They would not have just _let it go_!" Sirius said loudly, the last three words coming out in a sneer.

Remus lifted his head and glared at his best friend—his only friend. When he replied, it was in forced calm. "First of all, keep your voice down; Harry is still asleep. Second of all, that was well below the belt, Sirius. You know as well as I do that Harry would not have lived with those _people_ if Lily and James were still alive. Neither you nor I could have changed what happened to them or to Harry. Do you honestly think I don't feel horrible about Harry having to go and live with them? Do you honestly think I wouldn't give my _life_ to have given Harry a better one?" he whispered harshly.

Sirius glared back, not at all fazed by the tone Remus rarely used. "You wanted to give Harry a better life, did you? Then why the bloody hell—while I was stuck in Azkaban with only the dementors for company — didn't _you_ get custody of him?"

Remus' face became emotionless, blank, and Sirius knew he had angered the werewolf—never a good thing to do. "Why didn't I get custody of Harry you ask?" Remus asked in a wavering voice, looking Sirius directly in the eyes. "Because the Ministry wasn't about to hand the_ Boy-Who-Lived_ over to a registered werewolf. Believe me, I tried. I tried for months. But in the end all I could do was sit tight and wait for updates about him from Dumbledore. And let me tell you, Sirius, that's not an easy thing to do, considering he didn't want Harry in contact with wizards. I think Dumbledore hoped I would just forget about Harry after a while. He wouldn't even allow me to contact Arabella Figg to see how he was. For the past two years, I haven't heard a word about Harry's well-being. I didn't know whether or not he was happy. Didn't know if he needed anything. Hell, I didn't even know what he looked like now. Not until the day you came back did I even hear Harry's _name_ mentioned around me."

There was something envious in Remus' voice that Sirius didn't miss. He suddenly found himself feeling guilty for accusing his friend of doing nothing.

"Remus, I—"

"No. Don't," Remus said, standing. "Do what you want to the Dursleys, I don't care anymore. When you get arrested for attacking Muggles, don't call me. But don't you think for one goddamn minute that I don't care about Harry as much as you do. I'll see you tonight." Remus grabbed his jacket, even though it was a warm day, and Apparated from the cottage.

Sirius stared in mild shock at the spot his friend had been a second before. He hadn't meant to have them argue like that; it just sort of came out. He hadn't meant to accuse Remus of not caring. Sirius knew his friend loved and adored Harry as much as he did.

Remus had never told him that he tried to obtain custody of Harry, and Sirius could understand Remus' anger. It was hard for Remus to get what he wanted—whether it be a job, or a child, or the chance at a normal life—but Sirius, after being imprisoned for nearly five years gets the exact thing that Remus had wanted most after only a week of freedom.

At that moment, Harry walked out of his bedroom carrying his stuffed stag under his arm. For some reason, Sirius didn't understand why, since he received the stag a week before, Harry refused to go anywhere without it.

"Morning, Sirius," Harry muttered sleepily.

Sirius smiled slightly. "Morning, Harry."

Harry looked around the kitchen. "Where's Remus?"

Sirius sighed. "He had to go to Diagon Alley for some things. He'll be back later." _Hopefully..._ he added in his mind.

Harry nodded and began to eat the cereal Sirius had just placed in front of him. "Can we go into the forest again?" he asked between spoonfuls.

Sirius nodded distractedly, still thinking about Remus. "Yeah, sure. After breakfast, though."

Once Sirius and Harry had finished eating, they got dressed and headed into the large forest surrounding the cottage. Sirius packed a large lunch for them; last time they'd gone out there, they were gone all day. Harry led the way expertly through the trees with Sirius close behind him. Sirius pointed out magical creatures to Harry as they passed them, and he sustained a bad cut on his hand from a bowtruckle after mistaking it for part of a tree branch he was moving out of his way.

The two ate their lunches of ham sandwiches and butterbeer in the shade of a large tree. Sirius kept Harry entertained by telling him of all the times he and James would visit Remus during summer holidays and explore that very forest.

They continued on to a large clearing the Marauders used to use for Quidditch practice and awaited the sunset that was soon to come. Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out his and Harry's broomsticks, shrunk to fit in the palm of his hand. He muttered,_"Engorgio,"_ and handed a broomstick to a beaming Harry.

Harry jumped on the broom and waited slightly impatiently while Sirius performed the charm to keep him in place in the air. Once Sirius was finished, Harry took off into the sunset, laughing, and yelled to his godfather still on the ground, "Race you!"

Sirius laughed and took off after Harry.

* * *

Remus Apparated home to once again find it in silence. But instead of the feeling of foreboding he felt when Harry and Sirius were silent for a long matter of time, he felt hesitant to find them—well, Sirius, at least. He sighed and called for his family. There was no answer. Remus walked into the kitchen to put away the potions ingredients he had purchased in Diagon Alley.

A note sat on the kitchen counter next to the sink in Sirius' messy handwriting.

_Remus —_

_Took Harry into the forest. Be back later. Extra sandwiches in the fridge._

—_Padfoot_

_p.s. I'm sorry about this morning._

Remus sighed tiredly. The morning's argument had been on his mind all day. None of it had been Sirius' fault—well, that wasn't entirely true; most of it had been his fault. But it had all been pointless. Remus was just ranting to Sirius for something neither could change. In truth, Remus was slightly jealous that Sirius had gained Harry so easily, but he understood why it had happened that way: Sirius was Harry's legal guardian—Remus was not. Remus was a werewolf—Sirius was not.

Remus' dealings with the Ministry had been completely futile, a waste of time. There was no way Remus would have been given custody of Harry. He was, however, more than pleased Sirius had—it was wonderful having Harry around. It sort of made things more normal for Remus again.

And it wasn't as though Harry preferred Sirius over Remus—not at all. Harry seemed equally attached to both of them in such a short expanse of time. Harry depended on Sirius for laughs, flying, and pranks, while he looked to Remus for everything else, mostly getting revenge on Sirius.

Remus reached into the fridge and retrieved one of the sandwiches left by Sirius. A chocolate frog sat on top, making Remus chuckle—Sirius used to apologize for anything stupid he did by giving out chocolate frogs. He took out a butterbeer and headed to the living room to see what was on television.

It was getting dark—the first sign of the moon was beginning to show—and Remus knew Sirius and Harry would return soon.

* * *

A few hours later, night had fallen. Sirius conjured lamps so that it was still bright enough to fly, and so he could keep an eye on Harry. As they raced around the clearing, Sirius glanced at his watch; it was nearly nine o'clock. They needed to get back soon before Remus became worried.

"Harry!" Sirius called ahead of him. "We need to get back home!"

Reluctantly, the blur that was Harry slowed so that Sirius could catch up and they gradually descended to the ground. Sirius took Harry's charm off and reduced their brooms to palm size once more.

Taking Harry's sweaty hand in his own, Sirius lit the tip of his wand and headed in the direction of the cottage. Less than a quarter of a way into the walk, Harry showed signs of fatigue; Sirius smiled and picked the boy up. Within minutes, Sirius heard soft snoring, signaling Harry's sleep.

Half a mile from the edge of the forest, everything suddenly became pitch black and cold. The stars seemed to have been shut off. The sounds in the forest disappeared. Sirius stopped dead in his tracks as the tip of his wand flickered and finally extinguished completely. He could feel his own breath becoming shallow and fast. Harry's breath on his neck was freezing.

Then there was a feeling Sirius hoped he would never feel again: the feeling of doom and despair; the feeling of losing all happiness from one's mind... The feeling of dementors.

Straining his ears, Sirius heard the rattling breath of two dementors. Panicking, Sirius swung around in the dark. He could see the dark outlines of their robes in the trees.

Harry awoke suddenly with an ear shattering scream.

"Shh, Harry, it's okay," Sirius said quickly, his voice quivering and his ear ringing. He sat Harry down against a tree. "I need you to stay here, Harry. Keep your back against this tree."

"No!" Harry cried, trying to get back into Sirius' arms.

Sirius looked fearfully over his shoulder—the dementors were drawing nearer.

He could hear Wormtail accusing him of betraying Lily and James, the names his mother had called him in his childhood; he saw James' dead body lying in the rubble of Godric's Hollow.

Sirius shook himself; he needed to protect Harry...

"Harry, don't move," Sirius said. "It'll be okay, I promise. Just stay here, okay?"

Harry could only nod as terrified tears streamed from his green eyes.

Sirius swung around, shielding Harry from the dementors' path. He thought of Remus and Harry, and how wonderful it was having them in his life once again before he shouted, at the top of his lungs, "_EXPECTO PATRONUM!"_

A bright white eagle shot through the tip of his wand toward the advancing dementors. The eagle-patronus forcefully pushed the dementors away from Sirius and Harry. Sirius followed the patronus with his wand as the dementors retreated. He took a few steps forward, his patronus still gliding around the trees to keep them from danger. Suddenly, the Patronus dived behind Sirius. Sirius swung around, and to his horror, saw a dementor leaning over Harry. His godson's body lay limp in the bony hands of the dark creature.

"Get it!" Sirius bellowed at his Patronus.

The eagle dived at the dementor and pushed it away from Harry. Sirius watched for a moment as the patronus flew into the forest and flickered out.

The dementors were gone.

Dropping his wand, Sirius threw himself to the ground where Harry had fallen.

"Harry?" he whispered urgently. "Harry! Please, wake up!"

Harry didn't respond.

"No, please, _no_!"

Sirius picked his wand up from the ground, and took Harry in his arms. He ran full force the remaining distance to the cottage, tripping but not falling over tree roots in his way.

When he had reached the edge of the forest and could see lights on in the cottage, Sirius screamed for Remus. Remus burst through the backdoor seconds later, confusion turning immediately to horror as he spotted Harry's limp form in Sirius' arms. Remus ran to them.

"What happened?" Remus demanded.

Sirius was breathless, tears streaming from his eyes. "D-dementors," he said hoarsely.

This had not been what Remus was expecting—he thought Harry might have fallen off his broom or something. He took the boy from Sirius and led them quickly to the living room. Remus laid Harry gently onto the sofa and examined him. Harry's eyes had rolled to the back of his head, showing only the whites, and his mouth was hanging open.

Remus reached a trembling hand to Harry's throat. He sighed in relief when he found a faint pulse.

"Well?" Sirius said, kneeling next to Remus.

"He's alive," Remus said tensely.

Sirius released a breath he had not realized he had been holding. "What's wrong with him? Why isn't he responding?" he said desperately, taking Harry's hand.

"Shock, I expect," Remus said, standing. He crossed the room quickly and broke off a piece of the chocolate frog he had saved from his dinner for Sirius. "Eat it," he commanded softly. He sat Harry up gently, and placed a small piece of the chocolate onto Harry's tongue, taking care to make sure he didn't choke. "He should wake soon. What happened?"

Sirius' face was chalk-white, but still not near to the color of Harry's deathly pale face. Sirius was shaking terribly, his arms wrapped around his shoulders. "They—they came out of nowhere. I put Harry against a tree. Conjured my patronus. It drove two of them away. I didn't know there was a third. It had Harry. I-I t-think it was going to k-k-kiss him." Sirius shuddered. "My patronus drove it away, finally. Then I ran back with Harry."

Remus clenched his jaw and thought of what to do next. "I'm going to contact Dumbledore; he'll want to know about this. Stay with Harry."

Sirius nodded. He barely noticed Remus cross the room to the fireplace. His focus was solely on Harry. Sirius didn't even notice when Remus returned moments later with Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey.

Remus pulled Sirius gently by the arm, away from the sofa so the new arrivals could have a better look at the boy. He was still too pale for anyone's comfort, though they could clearly hear his breathing in sharp, harsh intakes.

Remus ran a shaking hand through his hair as he watched Pomfrey wave her wand over Harry, muttering different incantations. She and Dumbledore whispered in length; Remus and Sirius were too focused on Harry, wondering if he would be okay, to care about hearing what they were saying.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to the worried guardians, Dumbledore and Pomfrey stood properly.

Madam Pomfrey turned to the younger wizards with a grim expression. "He will be fine." Sirius and Remus sighed in immense relief. "He is in shock. I don't think I need to tell either of you the nasty effects dementors can have on a person. Right now, he is simply asleep; whatever went through his mind took a hard toll on him. I don't recommend moving him until he wakes. Do not wake him; he needs to do it on his own. I'm going back to the school to get some potions I want him to take. Chocolate wouldn't hurt him, or you, either, Black."

Sirius and Remus nodded as Pomfrey went back to the fireplace.

Sirius sat on the edge of the sofa, careful not to sit on Harry, and stared at his knees. How... _why_... did this happen to them?

"What were dementors doing out here, Albus?" Remus asked, reading Sirius' mind.

Dumbledore looked at Harry's now closed eyes and sighed. "I wish I knew, Remus. I do not know what this means. The dementors have not been out of Ministry control since Voldemort's days."

Sirius looked up, a thought forming in his mind. "Could this have had something to do with Wormtail?" he whispered, dreading the reply.

But Dumbledore shook his head. "I do not know. I can assure you, however, that I will be alerting the Ministry shortly. I will get back to you the moment I find out more."

Sirius continued staring at Harry; Remus nodded. "Thank you for coming so quickly, sir."

"Poppy will be returning soon. He'll be okay, Sirius," Dumbledore added, with a hand on Sirius' shoulder.

Sirius didn't look up as he nodded vaguely.

Dumbledore left through the fireplace just as Pomfrey had done moments ago.

Remus collapsed onto the floor next to Sirius and Harry. The past thirty minutes seemed like hours, and Remus was already exhausted with worry.

"He'll want his stag..." Sirius muttered. "He won't sleep without it..."

Remus raised his wand to the direction of Harry's bedroom and muttered, "_Accio _stag." Harry's stuffed stag flew obediently into Remus' hand, and he placed it in Harry's arms.

Hours passed. Madam Pomfrey returned with potions for Harry ranging from dreamless sleep to pepper-up potions. Harry still hadn't stirred once throughout the night. His breathing had returned to normal to the further relief of his guardians.

Just as dawn broke, Harry began to moan softly. Sirius and Remus, neither of whom dared to sleep a wink, sat up instantly awaiting further signs of life.

"Harry?" Remus said quietly, pushing hair away from the child's eyes gently.

Harry's eyes snapped open suddenly, and he attempted to sit up. Sirius and Remus pushed him back into the sofa soothingly.

"Shh, Harry, it's okay. You're home, you're safe," Remus whispered to a near hysterical Harry.

Sirius finally reached over and pulled Harry into his lap, rocking him back and forth.

"What happened?" Harry whispered, trembling in his godfather's arms.

Remus stood from his spot on the carpet, sat next to Sirius, and began to rub comforting circles on Harry's shaking back. "A dementor attacked you in the forest last night," Remus said hoarsely. "They're dark creatures—they guard the wizard's prison."

"Why?" Harry asked, his voice muffled in Sirius' shirt.

"We don't know, Harry, but we're going to find out."

"How do you feel?" Sirius asked quietly.

Harry sniffed. "Tired," he mumbled.

Sirius looked at Remus. "Yeah, I think we're all a bit tired, kiddo. What do you say we get some sleep?"

Remus nodded in agreement; his eyelids felt like bludgers. "First we need to give Harry some of these potions or Pomfrey will blow a fuse."

"What's a fuse?"

"Never mind," Remus said, shaking his head, not wanting to explain Muggle phrases at the moment. He handed Harry a chocolate frog and had him wash it down with a Dreamless Sleep Potion.

There was nothing left for them to do now but wait for word from Dumbledore.

Less than ten minutes later, Sirius and Harry were curled up on the sofa, while Remus found himself asleep in an armchair.


	18. Eighteen

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Eighteen_

"Well?" said a cold drawl as Wormtail scurried through the office door.

"T-they have been sent," Wormtail stuttered, wringing his hands together nervously.

"And?" Lucius Malfoy sneered, surveying the man before him with disgust.

"I-I don't know what has h-happened yet."

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "What of our other—_deed_?" He shuffled his papers around as Wormtail continued to stutter and stammer.

"H-he is gaining strength." Wormtail gulped. "H-he w-wishes to see y-you."

Malfoy sighed heavily. He should have known this moment would come sooner rather than later, though he would have preferred later. "Very well," he said softly, unconsciously rubbing his left forearm. "I shall arrive there at midnight tomorrow. It would do us no good for any—_Muggle_—to realize something is going on."

Wormtail nodded furiously. "I will i-inform him."

Malfoy returned to his paperwork and looked up only when he noticed Wormtail was still standing in the door frame of his study. "Why are you still here?" he growled, pointing his wand at Wormtail. "OUT!"

Wormtail jumped in alarm and Apparated back to Little Hangleton.

Malfoy continued on with his paperwork as if nothing had occurred.

* * *

Night had fallen upon the home of Sirius, Remus, and Harry hours ago, and it wasn't much better than the day that had passed. Far from being pleasant, the day had been the exact same every hour: Harry would drift off to sleep and—Dreamless Sleep Potion or not—would wake up screaming no more than thirty minutes later. Remus and Sirius had a shrewd idea of what was troubling Harry—his past would give anyone nightmares—but since he wouldn't tell them about the nightmares, they couldn't be certain.

As a result, neither Remus nor Sirius had gotten much rest throughout the day. They had been taking turns comforting Harry when he woke, while the other would have a moment of restless relaxation.

Remus walked quietly from Harry's bedroom, leaving the door wide open. As he went into the living room, he noticed Sirius wasn't on the sofa he had been on when Remus left him. Instead, he was pacing around the living room with his hands linked behind his head. Remus collapsed into the sofa and watched his friend for a moment, but after a while, it only made Remus want to pace as well. "You're going to wear a hole into the floor if you keep that up, Sirius," Remus said softly.

Sirius jumped; he hadn't realized Remus had reentered the room. He stopped his pacing, sat next to Remus on the sofa, and ran a tired hand through his long hair. "How is he?" he asked, staring at the fireplace opposite him.

"Same," the other replied with a sigh. "He still won't say what his nightmares are about. And now he wants the desk lamp on before we leave."

Sirius nodded and reached into his robes. "Dumbledore owled," he said, handing the letter out to Remus.

Remus looked up quickly from the spot on the carpet he had been staring at and took the parchment from Sirius. He read it to himself.

_Dear Remus and Sirius,_

_Just after I left your home last evening, I immediately spoke with Madam Bones. She sent a team of Aurors to Azkaban and discovered that three dementors had indeed left their posts in the past days._

_They did not, however, say why they left. The Azkaban wizard guards are under the impression that the three dementors have merely strayed from their posts, happened to cross the sea, and found Sirius and Harry in the forest. _

_Madam Bones wants to believe this as well._

_I, on the other hand, do not think such things. This could mean many different things at the moment. Things I do not wish to voice aloud or on parchment just yet. The Minister has assured me that they will continue working day and night to discover the 'true' reason of the attack. Until that time, be on your guard—in the immortal words of Alastor Moody: Constant Vigilance. Please send word if you require absolutely anything. _

_My best to Harry._

_Sincerely,_

_Albus Dumbledore_

Remus reread the letter to make sure he didn't miss anything—perhaps something was written in invisible ink? His brow furrowed in frustration. "Well, this didn't tell us anything we couldn't have figured out on our own. Except that Azkaban needs new guards..."

"I know," Sirius muttered. "Do you think Dumbledore has any idea what's going on?"

"I hope so. If he doesn't, we're all screwed. I don't care what Amelia Bones wants to believe, or what those damn wizard guards think happened. Dementors don't _stray_ unless they are ordered to do so. They don't act on their own free will," Remus said angrily.

"That's not true, though. That's like saying werewolves don't act on their own free will, and we all know you have a better mind than half the wizards in this country. Dementors may be foul, filthy creatures, but they knew what they were doing. How do you think Voldemort persuaded them to the dark side during the war?"

Remus rubbed his hands over his face. "I know all that. And don't compare a werewolf to dementors... that's an insult... The dementors are supposed to be under Ministry control. There was a two-page article in the _Prophet_ not long after Voldemort disappeared covering it."

"Must have missed that edition," Sirius replied under his breath. Remus sent him a sharp look. "All I'm saying, Remus, is that dementors are not mindless creatures. They seem to know just who their favorite prisoners are." Sirius shuddered. "Dementors have the power to act on their own free will, my friend."

Remus shook his head. "No, there's a bigger explanation for all this. Something big is going on."

"Maybe they just didn't want to let me go so easily, and have only just found me," Sirius replied thoughtfully.

"That's not funny, Sirius," Remus said firmly.

"Wasn't supposed to be," Sirius replied darkly. "What do _you_ think they were doing here?"

Remus thought for a moment, forming his thoughts aloud. "The dementors haven't been out of Ministry control since Voldemort's days. Maybe this means..." Remus trailed off looking horrified at the conclusion he had formed.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "What? You think he's coming back?"

Remus said nothing as he stared at the empty fireplace.

"Remus, listen to me. Voldemort's not back. He's not coming back. There is some other explanation that we are just looking over. There has to be," Sirius added pleadingly.

Remus took a deep shuddering breath and opened his mouth to reply when Harry's screams cut through the room.

Sirius stood immediately and practically sprinted to his godson's room. He turned on the overhead light and went to Harry's side. The boy was drenched in sweat and tears, and was very pale. Sirius sat on the bed with Harry and the child instantly latched onto Sirius for comfort.

"Shh, it's okay, Harry," Sirius said soothingly, rubbing Harry's back. "It's all right. We're here, we're safe."

After ten minutes or so, Harry's heavy sobbing became lighter, but he still held onto Sirius tightly.

"Harry?" Sirius whispered. Harry groaned slightly, showing he was awake and attentive. "You want to tell me what you were dreaming about?"

They'd been asking this question throughout the day, and the response hadn't changed since the last time Sirius had asked. Harry shook his head and buried himself deeper into Sirius' chest.

Sirius sighed. "Okay. Just remember, Remus and I are here if you want to tell us, okay?"

Harry barely nodded.

* * *

An hour later, Sirius still hadn't returned from Harry's bedroom. Curious and concerned, Remus stood from his spot on the sofa and went back to check on them. Sirius was fast asleep on Harry's bed, with one leg dangling to the floor. Harry was curled up comfortably practically on top of him. Remus covered the two of them with a blanket Harry had kicked of the bed sometime during the night, shut off the overhead light, and went back to the living room. He stretched out on the sofa once more, and was asleep in a matter of minutes.

* * *

The next morning, Remus awoke to the fragrance of bacon and French toast. Curious, he stiffly stood from the sofa and crossed into the kitchen, stretching.

Sirius stood at the stove, fully dressed in new robes, cooking breakfast. Remus raised an eyebrow. He had only seen Sirius cook on one other occasion, and that had resulted in James' kitchen being temporarily destroyed.

Remus sat at the kitchen table and watched Sirius' back for a moment. "Since when do you cook?" he asked with a smile.

Without turning around, Sirius replied, "Since when aren't you up at the crack of dawn?"

Remus chuckled and looked at the kitchen clock. It was 10:30 in the morning. He sighed. "Lack of sleep does that. How's Harry?"

Sirius placed a few slices of French toast and bacon on a plate and handed it to a grateful Remus. "Still asleep, thank Merlin. Poor kid's exhausted." He went back to the stove to make his own plate, and retrieved a jug of pumpkin juice from the fridge.

Remus nodded. "I can't say I blame him. Wasn't exactly a day at the park was it?"

Sirius snorted humorlessly as he crossed the kitchen to sit across from Remus. "Worse than being back in Azkaban."

"How so?" Remus asked skeptically. He didn't believe anything was worse than being in Azkaban.

"For one, you come to expect a dementor to come at you from behind in Azkaban. For two," he hesitated, "the memories were worse this time. And for three, Harry was there. If I would have been just a little slower with my patronus…" Sirius trailed off, staring at the table.

Remus sighed. He had been so wrapped up in Harry's experience, he hadn't stopped to think of the effect the dementors would have had on Sirius. "Well, you weren't slow," he assured his friend. "And Harry's going to be just fine. Pomfrey said—"

Sirius interrupted. "What do you think his worst memory is?" he asked quietly, knowing the answer.

Remus was taken aback by the question. "Er—well, I suppose it would be Halloween..."

Sirius nodded slightly. "Yeah, that's what I thought too."

"Did he tell you anything?"

"No," Sirius said thickly through his bacon. "Wouldn't say a word."

Remus nodded. "Maybe he'll tell us today." He took a bite of his French toast and smiled. "Not bad, Padfoot."

Sirius smiled into his pumpkin juice. "It's not too hard when you have a wand." He smiled more broadly. "And James isn't trying to 'help' you."

Remus laughed. "So why are you so dressed up this early in the morning? Normally you're in your pajamas until noon."

"I have to meet with Mad-Eye today to discuss going back to the Ministry."

"Today?"

"Well, it was supposed to be yesterday, but I Flooed Auror Headquarters while you were asleep, and he told me to come today instead," Sirius explained.

Remus nodded. "Maybe I'll take Harry and go talk to Dumbledore while you're gone, see if he has any new news."

"Okay," Sirius said, standing and taking his plate to the sink. He turned back around slowly to face Remus and cleared his throat. "Er—Remus? Are we—you know—okay, after the other day?" he muttered anxiously.

It was the closest Sirius had ever come to apologizing in all the time Remus had known him. He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, of course. I'm sorry, too. Just forget about it, Sirius."

Sirius smiled in relief. "Brilliant. Well, on that note, I must be going. I've got to be there by eleven." He walked from the kitchen to his bedroom and returned a minute later. "Here, take my two-way mirror, I've got James'. Let me know if anything happens." Remus took the mirror. "You do remember how they work, right, Moony?" Sirius said, grinning.

"Har har. Get the hell out of here." Remus laughed. "Talk to you tonight."

"See you," Sirius said before he Disapparated with a _pop_.

* * *

Two hours later, Remus arrived at the Hogwarts gates with Harry in his arms. Harry hadn't said much since he had awoken. He only asked where Sirius had gone, and would only answer questions with a nod or shake of his head. Remus had offered him breakfast, but Harry wouldn't eat.

Remus sat Harry gently on the ground, and the six-year-old immediately took a tight hold on his elder's hand. His other arm was wrapped tightly around his stuffed stag. Together, they walked across the grounds to the large castle doors. They may have seemed heavy at first sight, but Remus pushed them open without any difficulty. The wizard attempted to spark a conversation with Harry about the portraits they were passing to no avail. Harry kept his head down and allowed Remus to lead him through the Hogwarts corridors.

They reached the stone gargoyle and Remus said the password ("Ice Mice") that Dumbledore told them to use if they needed to see him. Up the spiraling staircase, Remus raised his fist to knock just as the door swung open. Remus allowed Harry to walk in first, but kept a reassuring grasp on his hand.

"Remus, Harry, what a surprise," Dumbledore said, standing.

Unfortunately for Remus, Dumbledore was not alone in the office, and Remus recognized the back of that greasy head instantly. He groaned inwardly. "I, er, hope we're not interrupting anything, Albus," Remus said as he and Snape exchanged looks.

Snape's lip curled as he spotted Harry.

"Not at all, Remus," Dumbledore said cheerfully, ignoring the blatant animosity between his former students. "Severus and I were just finishing our discussion about his lesson plans for the coming year. Please, have a seat."

Remus led Harry to the sofa next to Dumbledore's desk and sat. Harry crawled into Remus' lap and buried his head in Remus' cloak a second later.

Dumbledore raised his eyes in concern, and turned back to Snape. "I will come by the dungeons later this afternoon to resume this conversation, Severus."

"Very well, Headmaster." Snape stood and swept from the room, but not without a final look of hatred shot towards Remus.

"What can I do for you this afternoon, Remus?" Dumbledore asked, taking his seat once again.

Remus pulled his eyes from the door, adjusted Harry slightly on his lap, and sighed. "I was just wondering if you'd heard anymore word on the dementors, sir."

Dumbledore's eyes flashed at the door Snape had just gone through for half a second, and looked back to Remus. "I have not. There is still no word from Azkaban as to why they left in the first place, and I have come to no further conclusions."

Remus nodded pensively, looking at an empty portrait of a former headmaster on Dumbledore's wall. "I had a thought, sir," he said hesitantly.

Dumbledore's eyes surveyed Remus. "You believe this may signal the return of Voldemort." Remus snapped his eyes back to the old wizard in surprise. Dumbledore sighed heavily. "I myself have gone over that option as well."

Remus waited for Dumbledore to continue, but the elder moved his eyes to Fawkes who was sleeping on his golden perch. "And what do you think, sir?" Remus asked quietly.

"I do not know," Dumbledore replied still looking at his faithful bird. "I have been attempting to gather more information on the matter, but at the moment, I am as out of the loop as you are, as the saying goes."

They two wizards shared a long thoughtful silence. Harry stirred once, making himself more comfortable, and pulling his stag closer to his chest. Remus looked down at his surrogate godson and ran a comforting hand across his back.

"Sir, would you mind if I asked you a question? Please, tell me if you can't answer, but I was curious about something." Dumbledore nodded for Remus to continue. With another look at Harry's scruffy head, he began hesitantly. "Well, Sirius and I were explaining things to Harry—things about Voldemort, and Lily and James. Sirius mentioned something to me concerning Harry. Something about a prophecy..." Remus trailed off with a look at Dumbledore's face.

The Headmaster sat back in his chair, his fingers laced beneath his chin and beard. "Sirius knows of the prophecy?" he asked quietly.

"Er, yes, James told him of it after you told him and Lily."

"I see. And I suppose you would like to know what that prophecy says," Dumbledore stated.

"If you can't tell me, I understand," Remus said quickly.

Dumbledore slowly shook his head, and with a heavy sigh, he rose from his chair and crossed his office to a large cabinet. Dumbledore retrieved a stone basin that Remus recognized as a pensieve. Carefully, Dumbledore brought the pensieve back to his desk and sat back down. He looked at Remus with sad eyes. "I believe you have a right to know what this prophecy says and means. It will make things simpler, and you can explain it to Harry once he is older."

Remus looked on in eager curiosity, a slight feeling of foreboding forming in his stomach, as he watched Dumbledore raise his wand to his temple and retrieve a shining strand of thought. He placed the silvery tip of his wand to the pensieve and swirled the contents.

"Just over six years ago, I met with an applicant for Divination professor. By the end of this meeting I was sure the entire day was a mistake. As I was walking out the door, the applicant began to go into a trance," Dumbledore explained.

A figure rose from the gray mist of the pensieve, and Remus looked on as Sibyll Trelawney began her first ever Prophecy...


	19. Nineteen

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Nineteen_

"So as you can see, Black, things are relatively calm around here, which will make it easier for you to get used to it again," Alastor Moody said as he led Sirius through Auror Headquarters.

The office was filled with cubicles of people staring in curiosity and slight fear as Sirius passed them. Sirius, however, was too happy to care about the looks he was receiving.

After a brief training period—during which Sirius would learn the new procedures and protocol of the Aurors and refine his old skills—he would be back in action, so to speak. He would be a senior member of the Auror Squads, just like before, and would be receiving his same pay. His first assignment—and the only one he wanted at the moment—was the search for Peter Pettigrew. Currently, Kingsley Shacklebolt was heading the search, and Sirius would be partnering with him in the efforts.

The only difference that Sirius could see around him was the absence of James. The two had been partners since the very first day they started at the Ministry.

"Shacklebolt's got the day off, but I'll show you where you'll be stationed," Moody growled, limping between cubicles.

The Head Auror led Sirius to the very back of the office. Strangely enough, Sirius' new cubicle was just across from the old one he had shared with James. A blonde-haired witch Sirius didn't recognize now occupied the spot.

"Well, here we are." Moody pointed a scarred finger towards the cubicle.

Sirius felt a surge of anger as he laid eyes on the walls. They were covered with pictures of Wormtail throughout his life, during Hogwarts, graduation, even at Lily and James' wedding. One in particular caught Sirius' eyes: it was one of the last Christmases the Marauders had spent together. Sirius couldn't remember what year, but the Marauders were all there, laughing and trying to push each other out of the frame. Newspaper articles ranging from the day Sirius was arrested to one from just two days ago about Wormtail were also spread across the walls.

A large map on the wall displayed the country with red pushpins showing a location that had been searched, or where Wormtail had been. Sirius looked closer and saw a pin in Surrey and one just over Remus' cottage in Kent.

He tore his eyes from the map and looked at the two desks facing opposite walls. One was empty (that would be Sirius'), but the other (Kingsley's) held personal effects, a full inbox, and parchment and inks.

After Sirius had time for a good look around, Moody cleared his throat. "Right, well, I suppose that's everything of importance. You can go on home. Take care of that kid. Be back tomorrow. Nine o'clock, sharp."

Sirius smiled and thanked Moody graciously for everything before the Head Auror limped away from him to his own office. With another look around, Sirius strolled happily back to the Atrium, anxious to Apparate home and tell Remus and Harry the good news.

* * *

Remus sat on Dumbledore's office sofa pale, shaking, and still holding a sleeping Harry tightly. The headmaster had finished a long explanation of the Prophecy concerning Harry and Voldemort.

_Kill or be killed... that's what his life is going to be about..._ Remus kept thinking.

"Are you well, Remus?" Dumbledore asked gently.

The werewolf snapped himself from his thoughts and nodded slightly to Dumbledore—at least he tried to. "So the first war... it was only the beginning, wasn't it?" Remus whispered hoarsely.

Dumbledore betrayed no emotion. "I believe so," he said too calmly for Remus' liking. "However, as long as we remain perceptive, and prepare ourselves early enough, we can be rid of Voldemort forever."

"But at what risk?" Remus asked in the sharpest tone he had ever used with his mentor. His grip increased on Harry. "What—what happens if we... _lose_?" He whispered the last word, not wanting to begin to think of the negative possibilities.

"A final battle between Harry and Voldemort is inevitable, Remus. That we can not change. But if he is trained early enough—before Voldemort _does_ return—Harry can defeat him. Of this, I do not doubt," Dumbledore replied quietly.

Remus nodded, hoping this was all a nightmare and he would wake up soon with Harry and Sirius standing over him, grinning like maniacs, with some kind of prank planned. Before he had a chance to open his mouth to speak, a sharp piercing scream came from Remus' lap. Remus looked down, startled, as Dumbledore stood from his desk.

Harry was writhing in apparent pain, grasping his forehead as he screamed bloody murder.

"Harry!" Remus cried, trying to wake the small boy. He shook Harry slightly. "Harry, _wake up_!"

Harry wouldn't wake.

Dumbledore crossed the short distance to Remus and Harry's thrashing form, and knelt before the two of them. He placed a hand on Harry's sweaty forehead, and mumbled a few words Remus couldn't hear over Harry's screams. Almost instantly, Harry stopped thrashing and woke. He was shaking terribly, crying silently but heavily, and still grasped his forehead as he looked up to a horrified Remus.

"Harry?" Dumbledore said quietly.

Harry's wet, green eyes traveled slowly to the Headmaster. Gently, Dumbledore pried Harry's hand from his forehead. "Are you all right?" Dumbledore asked. Harry shook his head slowly; the pain hadn't seemed to have gone away just yet. "Can you tell us where it hurts, Harry?"

Sniffing, Harry raised a shaking hand and pointed to his lightning bolt scar.

Remus' eyes widened and his jaw dropped—what remaining color in the Lycan's face was now gone. Dumbledore, however, seemed completely unfazed by Harry's revelation. "Do you remember what you were dreaming about?" the elder wizard asked quietly, betraying no emotion whatsoever.

Harry sniffed more, fell back further into Remus' chest and closed his eyes. "Bad men..." he whispered so quietly Remus and Dumbledore had to strain their ears.

"What kind of bad men, Harry? What did they look like?" Dumbledore probed.

Remus' breath was caught in his throat.

"B-black cloaks... white f-faces," Harry replied.

_Death Eaters..._ Remus thought instantly.

"Do you know how many there were?"

"Two. But there was one in a c-chair. He d-didn't have a cloak," Harry said, shivering. Remus rubbed his hands across Harry's only exposed arm and back. His stag fell to the floor.

Dumbledore picked it up and handed it back to Harry. "What did the man in the chair look like, Harry?"

Harry clutched his stag closely with both arms, as if it was the only thing protecting him. "...scary..." was all he said.

Dumbledore nodded. He seemed to find an understanding in Harry's words—or lack thereof—that Remus did not. This wouldn't be the first time that Remus thought the old man was experienced in Legilimency.

Dumbledore stood once more without a word and returned to his desk. For a moment, he remained silent, observing Harry over his half-moon spectacles. Blue eyes met green for long minutes as Harry opened his eyes and looked at Dumbledore. Suddenly, and for no obvious reason that Remus could see, Dumbledore jumped slightly in surprise. His eyes widened only for a millisecond before he broke the eye contact with Harry. Dumbledore did not explain what had happened in that second (what had he seen in Harry's eyes?), but changed the subject.

"That's a very nice stag you have there, Harry," Dumbledore said casually. The twinkle in his eyes was faint, but present, as he attempted to lighten the mood.

Harry gave the only smile—however small it had been—Remus had seen from him in nearly two days. It was an immense relief.

"What is his name?" Dumbledore asked.

"Prongs," Harry whispered, still smiling. His crying had stopped, but he still sniffed a bit.

Dumbledore smiled and looked at Remus. "Why don't you take Harry home? I believe he will be all right now. And I am certain you have some things you will wish to discuss with Sirius. I will come by later this evening, if it is acceptable to you, and elaborate on certain things."

Remus was still pale and shaken, but managed a nod to Dumbledore. He stood up, his legs feeling like wet noodles, with Harry in his arms.

"Can we Floo?" Harry asked quietly. Some of the color had returned to his body.

Remus gulped and nodded. "Sure, Harry, sure." _At least he's talking now..._ Remus thought.

Dumbledore stood once more, and handed a jar of Floo powder out to Remus. Taking a handful, Remus cleared his throat, and stepped into the fireplace. Saying his address clearly, Remus and Harry disappeared in a whirl of green flames.

Dumbledore crossed the room and sat heavily at his desk. What he had seen in Harry's eyes was something he wished to never see ever again. Though he knew it would come, the thought didn't make what he'd seen easier to cope with. Knowledge was not always comforting...

For the moment Dumbledore and Harry had locked eyes, the headmaster saw a flash of red in those bright green orbs. It was only visible for a second, if that, but Dumbledore didn't miss it.

Adding this with the nightmare that had awoken Harry, Dumbledore believed he was sure what was happening.

He would have to act fast.

* * *

Remus and Harry had arrived home before Sirius that afternoon. As soon as they Flooed in, Harry had announced he was hungry. Remus didn't doubt this for a second; Harry hadn't eaten much, if anything, in the past days. While Harry ate his lunch, Remus went over the terrible day in his mind. So many new facts had entered his brain in such a short time, and Remus wasn't sure he would be able to comprehend them fully for a few more hours. Harry would have to face Voldemort—something no witch or wizard, Death Eater or not—would want to do. Only Harry would have the power to destroy Voldemort once and for all. Dumbledore—the most powerful wizard in centuries—could not even do this. Why? Why Harry? He was only six years old...

_One cannot live while the other survives..._ the prophecy had said.

Then there was the nightmare that had awoken Harry—or was it a nightmare? Bad men in cloaks with white faces, two of them. Was one of them Wormtail? Who was the other? A third not in a cloak. "Scary," Harry had said.

But what did it all _mean_?

Before Remus could ponder on these thoughts any further, Sirius Apparated into the living room.

"Harry? Remus? You two here?" he called with his back facing the kitchen.

"Sirius!" Harry squealed.

Forgetting about his lunch, he ran to his godfather and hugged him tightly around the legs, nearly making Sirius topple over in shock.

"Er, hey, Harry," Sirius said with a confused look to Remus. Just this morning, Harry had been the quietest Sirius had ever seen him. Remus avoided Sirius' eyes. "What's going on?" Sirius asked both Harry and Remus, pulling Harry into his arms as he walked into the kitchen.

"We went to Hogwarts!" Harry said as Sirius sat him back down in front of his meal.

"Did you now?" Sirius asked as he took his spot next to Harry, across from Remus.

"Uh huh."

"Remus, are you okay?" Sirius asked concerned, looking at his pale friend. He looked like he did before a full moon, but that was still weeks away.

Remus attempted, and failed, to smile—all he managed was a slight grimace. "I'm fine," he said hoarsely. He didn't want to tell Sirius what had happened in Dumbledore's office in front of Harry. Remus cleared his throat and tried to speak casually. "Dumbledore will be over this evening."

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "How come?"

"He, er, just wants to discuss some... things," Remus said lamely.

"Okay," Sirius said slowly. "How you feeling, Harry?"

"Fine," Harry said, eating his lunch once again.

"So, Sirius," Remus said, changing the subject. "How'd everything go at the Ministry?"

Sirius' face brightened considerably. "Brilliantly! I'm going back to my old position, partnered with Kingsley Shacklebolt. I have a week's training period before I can really get back into everything. And I'm on Wormtail's case."

Remus' eyes widened slightly. "They're putting you on Wormtail's case?"

"Yep. I requested it. Moody understood where I was coming from. And he knows I know Wormtail." Sirius scowled.

"Well, _used_ to know him."

Remus nodded vaguely.

Harry finished his lunch shortly after and asked Sirius if they could go for a fly. Sirius jumped at the chance eagerly. He didn't know what had changed Harry's mood so quickly, but he was going to take advantage of it. The two of them changed into flying clothes and went outside. Remus said he would join them later.

With a wave of his wand, Remus cleared the dishes used to make Harry's meal. Slowly, he made his way outside, conjured a chair, and sat to watch Sirius and Harry fly.

Dumbledore had neither confirmed nor denied Voldemort's return; he only said he was "attempting to gather information"— whatever the hell that meant.

Remus knew Dumbledore had a spy from the Order in the Death Eater's ranks. Though the old man had never come out and told the Order this information, that had been the only explanation as to how they had received notice about almost everything Voldemort was doing or planning on doing.

But who was the spy?

It would have to be someone Dumbledore trusts, obviously. Somebody close to Dumbledore during the first war and after.

Remus started to think through all the Order of the Phoenix members, guessing who it could be. But none of them seemed the type to get the Dark Mark branded on their arm and go Muggle hunting.

Remus snorted to himself bitterly. Peter didn't seem the type either—the complete opposite actually—but look what he had done...

More questions... more dead ends... _What_ was going on?

Before his thoughts could continue, Sirius called from the sky, "Come on, Moony! Grab your broom and get your arse up here!"

Remus laughed as Harry flew past Sirius so fast that Sirius nearly fell off his broom.

The three of them flew for a few more hours and had started a small, simple Quidditch game. Remus was Keeper once more, Sirius was Chaser, and Harry had wanted to play Seeker. The game had not been going for more than fifteen minutes when Remus and Sirius heard Harry's triumphant yell.

"I got it! I got it, look!"

Sirius and Remus looked over at Harry. He was clutching a fluttering golden snitch in his small hand.

"Great job, Harry!" Sirius said, hugging Harry in the air before they began to descend to the ground.

They walked into the house just as Dumbledore Flooed in. He wiped the soot off of his purple robes, stood up straight, and smiled at the family that had just walked in the door. "Ah, I see you are getting good use of those marvelous brooms!"

Sirius smiled as he shook Dumbledore's hand. "We are, sir. Harry's just taught us a lesson at capturing a snitch. Only took him fifteen minutes."

Harry smiled shyly next to Sirius as his hand moved its way to ruffle his already untidy hair.

Remus groaned and smiled reminiscently. "Oh, no, Sirius, we've got another one!"

Sirius laughed. Harry slowly dropped his hand. "What?" he asked obliviously.

"Nothing, Harry." Remus snickered as he took the brooms back to the hallway closet.

"Are you staying for dinner, Albus?" Sirius asked.

"I would be most delighted, Sirius. Thank you."

Sirius smiled and nodded, heading into the kitchen to make something—hopefully eatable—for the four of them to eat. Remus offered Dumbledore a cup of tea and sat on the sofa next to Harry. He listened as Dumbledore recalled his own Quidditch days and how much had changed to Harry.

Half an hour later—and with only one or two curses from Sirius—dinner was set on the table. They all took a seat and filled their plates with chicken, potatoes, and vegetables.

"This looks wonderful, Sirius. I did not know you were such a cook," Dumbledore commented with a chuckle.

"Thank you, sir. I never realized how hard cooking was. Good thing I've got a wand." He waved his wand to emphasize his point.

"Yes, very good thing," Remus said sarcastically with a smile.

Sirius threw a dinner roll at him.

* * *

Some hours later, after Harry had been bathed and put to bed, Sirius, Remus, and Dumbledore sat at the kitchen table in tense silence. Dumbledore explained the occurrences of the day to Sirius—from the prophecy and its full meaning, to Harry's nightmare. By the end, Sirius was just as pale and shaken as Remus had been. James had neglected to mention Harry would have to face Voldemort in a final battle.

"What does it all mean, sir?" Remus voiced his earlier thoughts quietly.

"As I have explained, the mark upon Harry's forehead is no ordinary scar. What I witnessed in Harry's eyes this afternoon leads me to believe that Voldemort forged a connection with Harry the night he attempted to kill him. This connection could have resulted in many things: Voldemort's feelings—Harry could feel when Voldemort is happy or angry—even what Voldemort is doing at any particular moment. I think this is what happened today. Harry fell asleep in my office and he witnessed Voldemort and his Death Eaters meeting."

Sirius stared at Dumbledore with an emotion of disbelief and... fear? "So you think Voldemort's back? Or coming back?"

"I do not believe Voldemort has yet returned to full power; I would have known before, had this been the case," Dumbledore said mysteriously. "He may be gaining strength as we speak, however."

Sirius closed his eyes and shook his head. It was all a nightmare returning. Something he, along with the rest of the wizarding world, had hoped and prayed would disappear for ten years could possibly be back. But Dumbledore wouldn't have mentioned anything about Voldemort returning if he did not strongly believe it beforehand. Another war could be on its way. More deaths, more torturing... more darkness...

"How long would it take for Voldemort to regain his powers?" Remus asked.

"I do not know," Dumbledore replied. "There is really no way for anybody to know. He would first have to regain his own body. This could be weeks, months, or years down the line."

"And what can we do? Other than twiddle our thumbs and wait for Dark Marks to appear?" Sirius asked.

Remus glared at him.

"Be on your guard for anything out of the ordinary. Be careful who you trust," Dumbledore said gravely.

Not long after, Dumbledore went back to Hogwarts, leaving Sirius and Remus at the kitchen table—both in numb shock.

"This can't be happening again," Sirius said, mostly to himself.

Remus nodded, not knowing what—if anything—he was nodding to.

If a second war was on its way, both wizards knew what it would mean: Harry, the light of their lives, would be in grave danger. Any normalcy the three of them had acquired in the past month and a half would be gone.

* * *

Sirius arrived at Auror Headquarters the next morning to find the offices in chaos. Moody was surrounded by a crowd of people not only from the law enforcement department, but from other departments as well. Shacklebolt spotted Sirius from within the crowd and moved quickly towards him.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked the bald wizard, bewildered.

Shacklebolt sighed heavily. "You're not going to believe this..."

"Shacklebolt, Black! Get over here!" Moody called, dislodging himself from the crowd.

The two Aurors met their boss half way. "The two of you are to head over to the site, investigate, and_ do not_ speak to reporters; I'll do that later. When you've finished, report back here immediately."

Shacklebolt nodded, as did Sirius, though he had no idea what was happening, and Moody handed them a preset portkey. Three seconds later, Sirius felt a tug at his navel as he left the Ministry; for what, he had no idea.

Sirius and Shacklebolt hit the ground hard in what was obviously a Muggle neighborhood. After an instant, Sirius recognized it. His eyes moved instinctively to Number Four, Privet Drive and saw something that nearly made him faint.

In the morning sunlight, a faint green skull floated above the house with a snake hanging out of its mouth.

The Dark Mark.

"No bloody way…" Sirius muttered. "This isn't happening…"

"Come on," Shacklebolt said gravely. He was just as horrified at the site as Sirius was, but they had a job to do.

They bypassed the reporters from the _Daily Prophet_, ducked under the yellow Ministry caution tape, and walked through the front door of Number Four.

The first thing that caught Sirius' eye inside the house was the fact that it was no longer spotless and immaculate. A flower vase lay broken on the floor just inside the door, dirt and what could only have been blood was smeared on the floor. Pictures were knocked off the walls and lay broken all over the place. The door to the cupboard Harry had been forced to sleep in was knocked clear off its hinges, shattered into splinters.

_Somebody must have tried to hide in there_, Sirius thought.

"Oh my god..." Sirius muttered, looking around the house.

"What? You know these people or something?" Shacklebolt asked.

"Only in passing. This is Lily's sister's house. Harry was here before Remus and I took him."

Another Auror spotted the two of them from across the room, excused himself from who he was talking to, and came over.

"What do we got, Richards?" Shacklebolt asked, business-like.

Richards was clearly shaken. "Well, you saw the Dark Mark, of course." The other two nodded. "Killing Curse on the husband," he pointed to a large shape covered in a white sheet in the living room, "Cruciatus on the wife, she died at St Mungo's. Word just came about that. Their son was at a friend's house. He's with an aunt now." He paused, looking around to make sure no one was listening in. "And, uh, whoever did it, left us a little message."

Richards motioned for Sirius and Shacklebolt to follow him. They went into the kitchen and Richards pointed out the wall on their left.

There, written in what Sirius believed to be blood, were fourteen words that made Sirius' blood freeze in his veins:

_The Dark Lord Will Rise Again_

_The Boy-Who-Lived Will Live No Longer_


	20. Twenty

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty_

"I didn't want them to die, just, you know, pay for what they did to Harry..." Sirius said quietly to Remus.

Remus, like the rest of the wizarding community, quickly learned of the events in Surrey.

Both wizards had their heads buried in their hands as they sat on the sofa. They were awaiting word from Dumbledore. The Headmaster of Hogwarts had been in meetings all day and now late into the night, with newly-appointed Minister of Magic Amelia Bones. She had only been in office a few days, and was already facing very difficult times.

Luckily, nobody had gotten wind of the message written in blood on the Dursleys' kitchen wall. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement had somehow covered it up and were now guarding the house so that no snooping reporters could get inside. Rita Skeeter, a new special correspondent for the _Daily Prophet, _was present at the scene when Sirius and Kingsley were leaving to report to Moody, and when her questions were not answered, she came to her own conclusions. Sirius, however, snapped her Quick-Quotes Quill in half before anything could be written down.

"Maybe we should get some sleep. Dumbledore might not owl again until morning," Remus said dully, without any conviction.

Sirius grunted in agreement, but neither of them moved.

Another quiet hour passed without movement until the two heard the sound of Harry moving quietly from his bedroom to the kitchen for a glass of water.

"Should we tell him?" Sirius asked quietly as he watched Harry in the kitchen.

"Not right now. I don't know how he'll take it. Let's just wait to hear what Dumbledore says," Remus replied.

Harry finished his water and stumbled sleepily to where Remus and Sirius were seated.

"Hey, kid, can't sleep?" Sirius said as Harry climbed between him and Remus on the sofa.

"No, I was thirsty." Harry yawned.

Sirius nodded. "Well, what do you guys say about just sleeping out here tonight? I don't feel like walking all the way to my bedroom."

Remus chuckled quietly. "All twenty feet... lazy bum," he said, getting more comfortable on the sofa.

Sirius kicked off his boots and stretched his feet out on the coffee table. Harry laid down with his head in Remus' lap, and his legs in Sirius'. Not ten minutes later, three separate snores sounded through the quiet house.

* * *

"Where is Lucius?" hissed the cold high pitched voice from behind the chair.

Wormtail gulped nervously, afraid to get any closer. "H-he will be-be here s-soon, m-my Lord."

"Have the Muggles been disposed of?"

"Y-yes, my Lord. L-lucius saw to it p-personally," Wormtail stuttered.

"And the boy?"

"He i-is still w-with the w-w-werewolf and B-black, my L-lord."

"My dementors did not do their job, Wormtail. You assured me that they would Kiss Black and the werewolf," the Dark Lord hissed. "Come closer, Wormtail."

Wormtail's teeth began to chatter as he stumbled before his master.

The thing in the chair grinned up at Wormtail evilly. "I do hope," it said softly, "that you will rectify your mistakes soon, Wormtail. I do not wish for my plan to be delayed any further." It raised a wand with its feeble arm. "_CRUCIO_!"

A high cruel laugh cut through the air as Wormtail writhed and screamed in pain on the floor.

* * *

Remus awoke suddenly the next morning to the unmistakable sound of an owl at the window. He opened his eyes blearily and looked down into his lap. He barely contained a laugh.

Sometime during the night, Sirius had transformed into dog form. His long shaggy tail sat motionless on Remus' knee. Harry had moved to the other side of the sofa, his head level with Sirius', and had one of his arms wrapped around Sirius' neck. The other was at a very odd angle behind his back. Harry's legs also lay motionless in Remus' lap.

The pecking grew louder; the owl knew somebody was awake and ignoring it. Remus untangled himself from the mess of legs and tail, and moved Harry's arm to a more comfortable position gently so he wouldn't wake the other two. Quickly and quietly, Remus moved to the window to allow the owl in. The brown barn owl dropped its letter on the windowsill, pecked Remus' hand for good measure, and flew off into the growing day light.

"Ow," Remus said, rubbing his hand.

He picked up the letter and sat in an armchair to read it. It was from Dumbledore:

_Remus and Sirius—_

_After an immensely long meeting with Madam Bones, she has agreed with me that this was no random attack on Muggles. I am sure you have already come to the same conclusion: it was Death Eaters. Only they know how to correctly conjure the Dark Mark found above Number Four, Privet Drive. _

_The wards I had in place fell the afternoon Harry changed residence, and thus, there is no way to know exactly who murdered Vernon and Petunia Dursley. The message on the kitchen wall is being analyzed for information. But at the moment, it looks like a dead end._

_I am arranging a meeting of old friends tonight at midnight. Please bring Harry; he will be safest here. Arrive on the seventh floor across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy—we will be meeting in the Room of Requirement. _

_I hope to see you there._

_Sincerely,_

_A.D._

Remus finished the letter and slowly refolded it. It didn't take a genius to know that Death Eaters were the ones responsible for the Muggles' deaths.

And it did not take a genius to figure out why Dumbledore was calling a "meeting of old friends" in the Room of Requirement at midnight that night. He immediately came to that conclusion without much thought: Dumbledore was recalling the Order of the Phoenix.

That meant the headmaster was worried and he was obviously not taking chances this time. If Voldemort was coming back, they weren't going to be caught off guard like last time. They would be prepared.

Of course, they would be there. Remus had jumped to the chance to join the Order just out of Hogwarts. He wanted to do anything he could to help—as did Lily, James, and Sirius—Peter was a bit more hesitant—and Remus damn sure wasn't going to sit on the sidelines this time, either.

If they were able to act early enough, perhaps they could delay Voldemort's return. They didn't know how far he was from gaining full power once more; perhaps he was still months—or years—away. If they kept delaying him, maybe he would never return to power.

"What's that?" a sleep-filled voice said from the sofa.

During his thoughts, Remus hadn't noticed Sirius' transformation back into human. He looked down at the letter in his hand that Sirius had been referring to, and sighed. "Letter from Dumbledore."

Sirius took the envelope. Remus watched his face as he read the letter—he betrayed no emotions.

Once he finished, Sirius nodded twice to show he understood what was happening as well, and ignited the parchment with his wand. Remus raised an eyebrow, but Sirius shrugged and replied, "Habit." The two watched the parchment burn quietly and disappear from sight.

A large yawn broke the silence as Harry woke. "What's for breakfast?" he asked, rubbing his eyes free of sleep.

* * *

"Why are we coming to Hogwarts so late?" Harry asked, yawning into Sirius' neck.

"We have to talk to Dumbledore, Harry. We'll find somewhere comfortable for you to sleep," Remus replied as they crossed onto the dark Hogwarts grounds.

"Where's Prongs?" Harry said, now fully awake looking around for his stag.

Sirius chuckled. "Right here; I've got him." He showed Harry the stuffed animal in his other hand to prove the point.

Harry relaxed against Sirius once more.

Through Hogwarts' dark corridors, the only sound was the footsteps that Sirius' and Remus' shoes made against the cement floor. Not a ghost or professor was in sight as they made their way to the seventh floor.

"This brings back memories," Sirius said with a grin, looking at the Barnabas and Barmy tapestry.

Remus smiled and opened the door that appeared when they walked up to it.

The inside of the room was simple, yet elegant. The walls were bright gold, and it was comfortably lit. A large round mahogany table sat in the center of the room—a large bowl of yellow candies Remus suspected to be lemon drops in the middle. There were enough seats for at least thirty people placed around it.

At the moment, however, only two people occupied the room: Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall. The two were talking quietly close to a window until Dumbledore spotted the new arrivals. "Good evening, gentlemen, or should I say good morning," he said with a smile.

"Hello, Albus, Professor McGonagall," Remus said, shaking both hands.

"Nonsense, Remus, call me Minerva." McGonagall smiled as she greeted Sirius and a very tired Harry. "You, Black, can continue to call me Professor," she said jokingly.

Sirius laughed. _Wait, am I laughing at something McGonagall said? What is the world coming to? _he thought.

"I have arranged a small chamber just over here for the children during our meeting. If Harry would like to sleep, I will setup a small bed for him," Dumbledore said.

Remus and Sirius followed their former Headmaster to a side room.

"You're expecting more children, sir?" Sirius asked curiously, walking into the room.

A small amount of toys and coloring books lay neatly on the scarlet plush carpeting.

"Yes. I have asked Molly and Arthur Weasley to join us as well, and they will be bringing their youngest children, Ronald and Ginevra."

"How many kids do they have now? Last I heard it was six," Sirius muttered, while Dumbledore conjured a small bed for Harry.

"Seven. Six boys and one girl," Dumbledore replied with a smile.

Sirius laid Harry down on the bed and left his stag in his arms. "We'll come get you as soon as our meeting's over. Okay?" he said to Harry.

"Kay," Harry replied as he rolled onto his other side.

Together, the three wizards left the room, closing the door quietly. Back in the meeting room, more people had arrived in their absence. Many of whom Sirius recognized from the old Order: Elphias Doge still wearing that stupid hat; Dedalus Diggle; Arabella Figg, who was talking quietly with McGonagall; Sturgis Podmore; Emmeline Vance.

There were also a few new people in attendance: Kingsley Shacklebolt had just walked in behind Moody, a pink-cheeked black-haired witch who seemed just fresh out of Hogwarts, a witch and wizard who could only be Molly and Arthur Weasley with their bright red hair accompanied by children around Harry's age (a boy and girl) and two twin boys—Molly looked furious over something—and a smell of stale cigarettes and old whiskey that could only have been—

"Dung! I was wondering when I'd be seeing you!" Sirius greeted his old school friend that looked like a pile of dirty rags.

Mundungus Fletcher hadn't changed since the last time Sirius had seen him five years ago; he was still rough-looking and dirty. He had three days' worth of unshaven stubble growing on his face, and hugged his bulky trench coat tightly.

"Sirius! How you been? Lupin said you was staying wit 'im for the past few weeks," Dung said, shaking Sirius' hand.

"Yeah, just like old times. So I was sorry to hear you didn't get Minister of Magic."

"Eh, don't worry 'bout it. Too much work for me to deal with anyways," Dung said carelessly, sitting down. His trench coat clanged against the wooden table.

"So what's in the coat, Dung?" Remus asked, sitting next to Sirius.

"Eh? Oh, uh, nothing important, Lupin. You know, just business," Dung said a bit too casually.

Sirius and Remus exchanged a knowing grin.

Once Molly and Arthur's four children were in the side room, Dumbledore cast a spell to allow sounds out, but not in—just in case one of them (mainly Harry) needed them. He stood at a podium at the head of the table with a large phoenix emblem on the front. All in attendance must have been former Hogwarts students; the chatter died instantly.

"Good evening. I thank you all for coming on such short notice, and at such a late hour. This, however, was necessary for your safety and the safety of what will be said tonight." Looks of surprise were evident on the faces of the new people in attendance. "For those who are aware of the reasons of such secrecy, I am sure you will understand. Those of you who have no idea what I am referring to, let me explain." Dumbledore paused to survey the room. All eyes were on him.

"During the war, I organized a group of people known amongst ourselves as the Order of the Phoenix. Our mission was to stop Voldemort—" a collective shudder went around most of the room at the name, "—once and for all. Unfortunately, this was not an easy task. Many of our members were murdered by Death Eaters or by Voldemort himself."

Remus and Sirius exchanged a brief look.

"Many mistakes and oversights were made." Sirius snorted inwardly. "Those we thought we could trust betrayed us. Those we did not trust took the fall." Dumbledore looked at Sirius for a brief moment. Sirius looked calmly back. "This time, however, we will be prepared."

"What do you mean, 'this time'?" Molly Weasley asked before she could stop herself.

Dumbledore considered the group before continuing. "Voldemort is once again attempting to regain power."

The effect of this sentence was immediate. Dedalus Diggle slipped off of his chair; Hestia Jones let out a small yelp; and the others gripped the table in front of them, panicked whispers going between them. Sirius and Remus were among the few who stared calmly back at Dumbledore, waiting to hear more.

"A little over a month ago, Peter Pettigrew made himself known, as I am sure you have all read about." The group nodded. "It is my belief, and the belief of Minister Bones, that Pettigrew has gone back to his former master to bring him back to the world."

"But that can't be," the pink-cheeked witch said, shaking. "You-Know-Who's dead. The Potter boy killed him!"

Remus and Sirius glared at her.

"Harry did not 'kill' Voldemort, Hestia," Dumbledore replied patiently. "Voldemort was not human enough to die. The curse that Voldemort used on Harry Potter backfired, leaving its caster as something weak and powerless. Voldemort lost his body that night and was forced to flee as a cloud of smoke. If Voldemort is gaining strength, it will only be a matter of time before he regains his body, and a second war begins."

There was more muttering and whispering before Arthur Weasley spoke. "What is it we're here for, Dumbledore?"

"Wonderful question, Arthur. That was my next point. I wish for you all to join—or in some cases rejoin—me in the effort to stop Lord Voldemort once and for all. Those of you who were in the Order last time know what I ask of you. I only ask that you do what you can. Every little bit helps. Those of you employed by the Ministry are of great importance in keeping a sharp eye for spies. Those not employed by the Ministry can help just as efficiently in other ways.

"This is not a commitment to be accepted lightly. If you accept—you are, of course, free to refuse—you must understand the risks involved. We mustn't speak of the Order to those who are not involved, or we risk exposure. Order members know how to reach one another—I will explain those ways in a moment.

"Any of you who do not wish to be a part of this will be free to leave once your memories have been modified. I am sure you will understand the reasoning behind this." Dumbledore paused.

Sirius took a look around the room. The new people looked as if they wanted to flee the country. The Weasleys were pale, Molly was shaking slightly. If he remembered correctly, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, who were in the Order last time, were Molly's brothers. The people who Sirius did know, those who had been in the Order before, looked anxiously at one another. Sirius hoped they wouldn't let fear of a second war stop them from helping. They needed to act fast...

"Those of you who wish to remain, I thank you," Dumbledore said. "Those who do not, I hold no hard feelings whatsoever, and I wish you much happiness in your lives. If you want to leave, please stand so I can modify your memory of the past half hour."

The only movement in the room was people looking around to see if anyone would stand.

After a moment or two, Dumbledore extended his arms to the crowd before him. "I welcome you all to the Order of the Phoenix."

* * *

"So... you're really _Harry Potter_?" one of the redheaded twins asked.

Harry looked back from his bed where he sat cross-legged clutching his stag, perplexed. "Yeah, I guess so..."

The other twin smiled broadly. "Wicked... Can we see your scar?" he asked excitedly.

"My scar? Why do you want to see that?" Harry asked with a small laugh.

"Isn't that where You-Know-Who tried to curse you?" the twin asked.

"You-Know-Who?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow he'd adopted from Remus. Then realization hit him; Sirius told him about that... "Oh, you mean Voldemort, don't you?"

All four redheaded children gasped. The youngest boy went pale and looked around the room. "You're not supposed to say his name," he whispered fearfully.

"Sirius and Remus said I should," Harry retorted defiantly.

"Who're they?" the girl asked.

"My guardians," Harry said proudly.

"So can we see your scar?" one of the twins asked hopefully.

Harry shrugged. "I guess." He moved his fringe and watched bemusedly as the other children gaped openly at his forehead.

"Wow..." muttered the youngest boy.

One of the twins stuck out his hand. "Fred Weasley, nice to meet you. This is George, Ron, and Ginny."

"Are you all wizards?" It was now Harry's turn for questioning.

"Yep," George replied. "All our lives. We heard you're the best wizard ever."

"Who told you that?" Harry asked, furrowing his brow. He had never been allowed to _touch_ a wand, let alone do anything worthy to become _the greatest wizard ever_.

"Some kid." George shrugged.

"Dumbledore's the best ever. Remus says so all the time," Harry said.

"Oh. So what's your Quidditch team?"

The rest of the time spent in the side chamber was devoted to discussing Quidditch, and what kind of broomsticks the Weasleys and Harry owned (the boys were envious to over Harry's Nimbus 950).

Harry wanted to know what it was like at their home—apparently their father was obsessed with Muggles. And the Weasleys were interested to know what it was like living with Sirius Black—infamous mass murderer (Harry explained, quite angrily, that he was not a murderer; the children backed off)—and Remus. He told them of flying all day, and playing pranks on each other, leaving out the fact that Remus was a werewolf, and Sirius' Animagus abilities.

A few hours later, a redheaded woman came into the room.

_Must be their mum,_ Harry thought a bit enviously.

"Mummy! Mummy, look! It's Harry Potter!" Ginny cried, running to the woman, pointing at Harry.

"Don't point, Ginny," the woman said. She smiled kindly at Harry who smiled back. "Hello, Harry, dear. I hope my children haven't been bothering you too much," she said with a glare to the twins.

"No, ma'am," Harry said quietly.

"Good. Sirius and Remus wanted me to tell you they will be in shortly to take you home. They're just discussing some things with the Headmaster."

"Okay, thank you," Harry said as Mrs. Weasley and her children left the room. He sat back on his bed, and waited for Sirius and Remus to come for him.

* * *

"So you say your son had a pet rat, Arthur?" Sirius asked.

Mostly everyone had left the room to go home. Dumbledore had inquired about the other Weasley children. Arthur mentioned one of his sons had just lost his pet rat, and how upset he had been lately about it.

Arthur turned to Sirius. "That's right. My son, Percy. He found it about five years ago, I guess it was, out in our garden. Scabbers was his name, and he was like a member of the family until he ran away last month. Molly and I think he might have just died, but we won't tell Percy that."

Remus' brow furrowed. "What did your son's rat—_Scabbers_, did you say?—what did he look like?" he asked in what he hoped was a tone of interested curiosity.

Arthur looked slightly taken aback in the question, but answered, "Er, well, he was brown, pretty fat— all he ever did was eat and sleep. Had a long scar on his stomach—Percy showed me once—bald tail, and the weirdest thing... he had the only blue eyes I've ever seen on a rat," he said with a chuckle.

Sirius nearly fell over where he stood, but Remus gripped his arm—probably to keep his own balance. Arthur didn't notice their strange behavior; Molly had exited the room with the children, and they were preparing to take their leave.

Before he left, Sirius asked Arthur, "D-did he, by any chance, have a toe missing from his right foot?" Sirius asked hoarsely.

Arthur thought for a moment, and answered cheerfully, "Yes, he did. That's why Percy called him 'Scabbers'; looked as if it was a recent injury when he found him."

* * *

"Oh my god," Sirius muttered over and over as they walked through Hogwarts once more.

Remus threw him a warning look. He had to carry Harry since Sirius was in slight shock over the recent revelation of Wormtail's location for the past years.

"So, Harry, did you have fun tonight with the other children?" he asked, hopefully calmly.

"Yeah," Harry said into Remus' shoulder. "All those kids wanted to see my scar."

"Did they?" Remus asked.

"Yeah."

"Padfoot, you okay to Apparate?" Remus asked, looking at Sirius. They didn't need the Magical Reversal Squad to show up.

Sirius nodded distractedly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

_He's been hiding with a wizarding family. Must have left them before he went to Remus'. Bastard. I'll have to tell Arthur about who exactly had been sleeping in his son's bed for five years,_ Sirius thought.

They reached the Hogwarts gates and Apparated home.

Harry was asleep the moment Remus placed him in his bed and covered him with a blanket. This wasn't much of a surprise; it was 2:30 in the morning, after all.

Remus left the room, and found Sirius brooding in the kitchen, glaring at the table as if it was Wormtail.

"Sirius, maybe you should get some sleep. A lot's happened this week, and I know you're exhausted," Remus said quietly and hesitantly.

Sirius Black never liked to be told what to do when he was in a bad mood. There was no telling what he would do, whether it be to agree or start yelling. But to Remus' relief, Sirius nodded and stood without a word and walked to his bedroom. Remus stared at the closed door for a moment before going to his own room for much needed sleep.


	21. Twenty One

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-One_

Wormtail's watery blue eyes stared into Sirius' grey ones nervously. Sirius glared back with the utmost hatred. Actually, hate wasn't a strong enough word for what Sirius felt for his former friend; there was no word for that feeling.

Sirius watched Wormtail cower back slowly and begin to shake. Sirius' eyes narrowed and his glare hardened with enough venom that if looks could kill, Wormtail would be dead three times over. Wormtail turned to his right, tapped James on the shoulder, and pointed to Sirius. James turned to Sirius with a large grin and a cheerful wave. Sirius' glare softened a bit. Wormtail disappeared from the frame.

"You all right, Black?" said a deep voice across from Sirius.

Sirius jumped a bit in his chair and looked away from the photo on the wall he had been glaring at for the past fifteen minutes. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, sorry. Just zoned out, I guess."

Kingsley Shacklebolt nodded, but didn't look convinced. "I was asking if Pettigrew has any remaining family."

Sirius sat up and thought hard. "Well, his dad died a few months into third year. His mum died about three years ago from what Remus told me. He's an only child... I'm pretty sure his grandparents are dead. I don't know about any aunts or uncles or cousins or anything. He never mentioned any," he replied with a shrug.

Kingsley nodded again and went back to the parchment he'd been studying.

They were trying to find any place Wormtail could possibly be. Remaining friends had been ruled out; Wormtail's only friends at Hogwarts—as far as Sirius knew—were the Marauders. It was a possibility he could be hiding out with a fellow Death Eater, but that was hard to prove, seen as how every known Death Eater was in Azkaban or had claimed to be bewitched just after the war. If he was hiding in his Animagus form, it was going to be nearly impossible to find him. But Sirius would not give up hope.

The Department of Magical Law Enforcement had kept Wormtail's Animagus abilities confidential for the time being. The Auror squads knew, but no one else had the information. Sirius and Kingsley, however, had talked Moody into making it public knowledge; it may make things easier for them. After a discussion with the Minister of Magic, Moody was going to make the announcement during a press conference in three days.

So at some point in those three days, Sirius had to get up the nerve to tell Arthur Weasley the truth about Wormtail. It had been a week since the meeting at Hogwarts, and every time Sirius started to tell Arthur, he lost the courage. Every time, he kicked himself mentally, asking himself the same question, "Am I a Gryffindor or not?"

In Sirius' defense, it was a rather tough subject to bring up. One can't just go up to somebody at the water cooler and say, "Hey, you know your son's rat? Yeah, he's an Animagus Death Eater who killed twelve Muggles, and betrayed his best friends. So did you see that Quidditch match the other day?" It didn't work like that. It was a situation to be handled delicately.

_Moony would know what to do..._ Sirius sighed.

He took a look around Auror Headquarters and spotted the one person he had hoped to avoid until at least lunchtime. Arthur Weasley walked cheerfully between cubicles, receiving slight glares from some of the other Aurors as he whistled a tune, and headed straight for Sirius and Kingsley.

"Morning, Sirius, Kingsley," Arthur said happily.

"Morning, Weasley," Kingsley said distractedly, flipping through files.

"Hello, Arthur. What brings you down this way?" Sirius asked.

"Well, Molly wanted me to ask if you, Remus, and Harry would like to join us for dinner tonight. The kids seem to have taken a liking to Harry and they've been asking when they would see him again," Arthur said.

Sirius was slightly surprised at the invitation. He had gotten the feeling that Molly Weasley didn't much care for him. "Oh, er, yeah. That sounds nice. Harry seems to like your kids, too. He keeps going on about your twin boys."

Arthur smiled. "Fred and George. Yes, they're slight troublemakers, but haven't done anything too terrible..." Sirius watched Arthur trail off and shudder before he went on. "Anyway, wonderful. So come by around six. Molly will be delighted to hear you're coming."

Sirius and Arthur said goodbye, and Arthur headed back to his own office in Misuse of Muggle Artifacts.

_Funny how things work out,_ Sirius thought. He and Remus could tell Molly and Arthur that night. Sirius cringed at the thought of what Molly's face would look like. _But they have to know..._ Sirius convinced himself before he began some paperwork.

* * *

Remus and Harry sat at the kitchen table, an assortment of books and parchment spread out in front of them. Harry's tongue was sticking out slightly between his lips in concentration as he moved the quill across the parchment.

Finally, after a minute, Harry let out a cry of triumph. "I did it! Look, Remus!"

Remus smiled broadly as he looked over Harry's parchment. The six-year-old had written different Quidditch terms beneath the places Remus had done examples. Harry's handwriting was large and messy, but Remus could make out the words "Keeper" and "snitch."

"Wonderful job, Harry! You're getting better at this!" the wizard said, ruffling Harry's hair.

Harry smiled proudly, looking back over his work.

In the past few days, Harry had shown interest in learning to read and write. Remus, being the tutor he was at Hogwarts, offered to teach his surrogate godson while Sirius worked. The fact that Sirius had a job, and Remus did not, didn't bother Remus near as much as it would have a few years ago. Though Remus wished he could get a well paying job with the Ministry, he was happier spending his days with Harry.

"What time's Sirius getting home?" Harry asked, eyeing the clock on the wall anxiously.

Remus smiled. "What? I'm not good enough company for you?"

"No, I was just wondering," Harry said a little too innocently.

Remus raised an eyebrow. He knew that innocent look. It was the same look James had after he charmed Snape's school books to snap shut on the Slytherin's hands. "What did you do?" he asked warily.

"Nothing."

"Harry," Remus said sternly.

Harry sighed. "I put a wet-start firework in his bed. I was going to throw a water balloon at it when he came home," he said, defeated.

Remus held back a smile... barely. "Not a bad idea. But I know how to make it better."

Harry grinned at the mischievous Marauder smile on Remus' face.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Sirius called cheerfully as he Apparated into the cottage.

Remus and Harry sat innocently together on the sofa reading a book.

"Shut up, Padfoot," Remus said with a grin. Harry began to giggle, but Remus silenced him with a look. "How'd your day go?" he asked casually.

"Fine." Sirius sighed as he collapsed into his armchair "No new news about the Muggles," he said with a slight glance at Harry. The still hadn't told him about the Dursleys—they weren't sure if they even should; why bring up topics that would torment him? "Er, Arthur Weasley came into headquarters today."

Remus looked up. "And?"

"He asked the three of us over for dinner tonight with his family."

Remus raised an eyebrow—Sirius was really starting to hate that eyebrow. "You haven't told him yet."

Sirius sighed. "No, I haven't. How am I supposed to tell him something like that?"

"I know it's hard, Sirius, but the man has the right to know."

"I know, I know," Sirius said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I thought maybe you could help me tonight," he added with the charming smile that got him nearly anything he wanted.

"That smile does not work on me, Padfoot. I don't know why you even try," Remus said flatly.

Sirius dropped the façade. "Please, Moony," he begged. "You were always good at these things."

"I have _never_ had to tell anyone something like this before, Sirius!" Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius' pleading, puppy dog look. "Fine. I will _help_ you. I put emphasis on _help_. Only because they need to know and you don't have the nerve to tell them. What time do we have to be there?"

Sirius grinned. "Six. Thanks, Moony, I owe you one. I'm gonna go grab a shower real quick."

Harry giggled into his book, peering over the top at Sirius as he walked out into the hall. Sirius stopped and raised his eyebrows.

"Book's funny," Harry managed to say through his laughter.

Sirius looked at the book title: _Herbology Made Fun for Your Child_. "Right," he said slowly. "I'm going to go to the shower now." Looking suspiciously at Remus and Harry, Sirius backed down the hallway slowly, and locked the bathroom door behind him.

Remus and Harry grinned at each other and snuck quietly down the hall behind Sirius. They heard Sirius cough... undress... only another few seconds... Sirius turned the water on...

Bangs, cracks, and lights erupted in the bathroom amidst Sirius' screams. Remus and Harry collapsed against the wall in laughter.

Sirius yanked the door open a few seconds later with a towel around his waist. "What the hell!" he cried.

Neither Remus nor Harry could get a single word in through their laughter. Sirius folded his arms across his chest, leaned against the door frame, and waited.

Ten minutes later, and very red in the face, Remus took a deep breath and looked at Sirius with a large grin. "Harry's idea," he said, pointing to the boy next to him rolling around on the floor.

Harry managed it sit up. "Hey! It wasn't my idea! It was yours!"

"You were the one who wanted to use wet-start fireworks, Harry, not me."

Sirius sighed and waited for their little argument to end—it was highly amusing.

"Oh yeah," Harry said thoughtfully. "But you were the one who made them invisible and put them in the shower."

Remus turned and grinned at Sirius. "Damn right, I did."

Sirius finally laughed. "Nice, boys, very nice. Now before I go back in there, are there any more _invisible _things I need to know about?"

Remus pretended to think hard. "Nope, not that I know of. Harry?"

Harry shook his head, still laughing.

Sirius nodded and went back into the bathroom. Before he closed the door, he looked out at his family and grinned evilly. "You do know, boys, that this means war."

Remus and Harry's grins faded instantly.

* * *

"Wonderful meal, Molly," Remus said, wiping his face on a napkin.

"Thank you, Remus," Molly replied as she served Harry a third helping of roast beef and potatoes.

"Yeah, this is great. I haven't had such a good meal since Hogwarts. Thank you for having us over," Sirius said, watching Molly cut Harry's roast.

"It's our pleasure, dear. You three are welcome hear anytime."

The Weasleys, Sirius, Remus, and Harry were gathered around a large table in the backyard of the Burrow. The children sat on one end talking and laughing, while the adults sat on the other discussing the Ministry and Quidditch.

"Mum, can we take Harry to play some Quidditch?" asked the Weasley's eldest son, Bill.

"I don't see why not, but you'll have to ask Remus and Sirius if it's okay, first," Molly replied, refilling Harry's pumpkin juice.

All the kids looked hopefully at the two wizards.

"Can I? Please?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Where do you play Quidditch?" Sirius asked Bill. He wasn't too keen on letting Harry wander too far off without an adult with a wand nearby. Not after the dementors...

"Just over that hill." Bill pointed. "He'll be okay. And we'll be back before dark. We promise."

All the children nodded enthusiastically. Sirius looked at Remus in question.

Remus nodded. "Sure, but if there're any problems, let us know immediately."

"We will," Bill said. The children got up from the table and ran to the broomshed.

"Can I have my broom, Sirius?" Harry asked, bouncing on his feet.

"Impatient, aren't we?" Sirius grinned. He reached into his cloak and pulled out Harry's broom. Once it was enlarged, Harry climbed on, and waited.

"Aren't you going to do the charm?" the boy asked.

Sirius hesitated, but set his wand down on the table. "I think you're getting good enough that you don't need the charm. Just be careful, okay?"

Harry beamed as he hugged Sirius and Remus before flying off after the calling Weasley children. Sirius and Remus watched him anxiously as he flew over the hill.

"He'll be okay. Bill and Charlie will keep a close eye on him," Arthur assured them gently.

Remus tore his eyes from the sky and smiled at Arthur and Molly. Both smiled back knowingly.

"Harry is such a wonderful boy. Amazing manners; a few of my children could learn a thing or two from him," Molly said fondly.

Sirius finally looked away from the distant hilltop where he could vaguely see shapes in the sky. "Don't let him fool you, Molly. That boy can cause some trouble. You should have seen what he and Remus did to me today."

Remus laughed. "You had it coming," he muttered.

"Well, I think it's great what you two are doing for him. If anyone deserves a good life, it's Harry. I always wondered what had happened to him after all the business with You-Know-Who," Molly said. "Sorry," she added at the suddenly tense looks on Sirius and Remus' faces.

"Don't worry about it, Molly." Remus smiled.

"Speaking of You-Know-Who," Arthur said quietly and seriously. "Any news on Peter Pettigrew, Sirius?"

Sirius exchanged a quick look at Remus before he cleared his throat. "Er, funny you should mention that, Arthur..." He scratched his head, wondering where to begin. "You said your son had a rat?"

Arthur nodded. "Yes, Percy had a rat..." he said, unsure as to what his son's rat had to do with a Death Eater.

"Well," Remus began awkwardly. _This really is hard..._ he thought. "There's something we think you should know."

"Okay," Molly said slowly, eyeing the two younger wizards in confusion.

Sirius looked at Remus. "Start at the beginning, eh?" Remus nodded. "Right, well, back in Hogwarts, James Potter, Pettigrew, and I decided we wanted to become Animagi." Sirius did not want to bring up Remus' condition without discussing it with him first, and that made it harder. "We succeeded in our fifth year."

"Wait just a moment... You're an Animagus?" Molly asked loudly.

"Yes," Sirius replied calmly. "But I'd prefer if you didn't tell anybody; I'm not registered."

Molly and Arthur exchanged a shocked look.

"Anyway," Sirius continued, "James' form was a stag," he held Harry's stuffed animal up for emphasis, "I'm a dog, and Pettigrew..." he took a deep breath, "is a rat."

Arthur raised his eyebrows, Molly gasped. "S-sorry, could you repeat that?" Arthur asked hoarsely.

Remus took over. "Pettigrew's Animagus form is a rat. He's got watery blue eyes, a fat bald tail, a large scar on his stomach, and he's missing a toe on his right paw," he said quietly in one breath, averting Molly's and Arthur's eyes.

"Are you trying to tell us," Molly said in a wavering voice, "that you think our son's rat was actually an Animagus."

The looks she was sending the younger wizards was enough to make them shrink back into their chairs. "Yes, we believe so," Remus confirmed quietly.

The Weasleys went pale. "My son... my son had a _Death Eater _on his pillow for five years?" Arthur said, horrified.

Sirius nodded, meeting Arthur's eyes. "Yes," he said simply. There was nothing more to say, or so he thought.

Remus managed to add something. "I think, and Dumbledore agrees with me, that when he left your home and came to mine, thinks he was going after Harry," Remus said.

"My god," Arthur muttered, grasping his wife's hand. All four sets of eyes drifted to the spot the children could be seen flying.

* * *

"That couldn't have gone worse," Sirius said, following Remus out of the cottage fireplace a few hours later with a sleeping Harry.

"I don't know, it wasn't so bad. Molly took it better that I thought she would. At least she take her wand out on us for not telling them sooner," Remus replied as they walked to Harry's room.

Sirius nodded as he put Harry into bed, covered him with a blanket, and kissed his forehead. He and Remus left the room and headed into the living room where both wizards collapsed on the sofa.

Sirius looked lazily over at the window. "Hey, we got a letter," he said. He retrieved his wand and summoned the letter from the open window sill. Remus rolled his eyes at his friend's blatant laziness.

Sirius read the letter quickly, and lit it on fire with the tip of his wand. "Order meeting at Hogwarts in two days, at ten o'clock."

Remus nodded, and soon after, both went to bed.

* * *

"The Ministry is still unsure as to the motives of Vernon and Petunia Dursleys' murders," Dumbledore spoke from his podium. "I believe, however, that it was arranged by Voldemort." A shudder ran around the room; Dumbledore ignored it. "Voldemort sent Death Eaters to attack the Dursleys when he realized it would not be so easy to obtain Harry Potter."

"What?" Sirius asked loudly.

Dumbledore nodded grimly. "The Dursleys were not the first to be attacked, however. Dementors were sent to attack you and Remus, Sirius, in the hopes of gaining Harry. When they failed, Voldemort was furious and released his anger on the Dursleys, leaving a message for us all that he would be returning."

"That's why they were sent..." Remus said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded again. "At the moment, Voldemort is quickly gaining strength. I do not know, however, how or when he will regain his body, but it will happen. He is handing out orders to a small group of Death Eaters who have already rejoined his ranks."

"Wormtail," Sirius and Remus said simultaneously.

Again, Dumbledore nodded.

"How do you know all this, sir?" Emmeline Vance asked. Sirius and Remus jumped, forgetting they weren't alone in the room.

Dumbledore looked at every face before him and answered mysteriously, "I have my ways, Emmeline. And I cannot put these—_ways_—in jeopardy by telling any of you. I hope you will forgive this."

The room nodded vaguely.

"Does the Ministry have this information?" Elphias Doge said.

"Yes, they do. Madam Bones does at the very least; she has been most cooperative with our efforts."

Doge nodded and stared at the table top.

Minutes passed in silence before Dumbledore spoke again. "Before I conclude this meeting, I have a request of you all." Everyone looked up into the blue eyes of the only wizard Lord Voldemort ever feared. "The school year will be commencing soon, and it would be best for us, and for the students, if we were able to find a location where we could meet in seclusion outside of the school. A place not many people know about, somewhere it would not seem odd to have many people coming in and out at different hours of the day or night would certainly be preferable. If any of you know or hear of such a place, please let me know as soon as possible."

The meeting ended. Chairs scraped against the stone floor as witches and wizards left the room, chatting quietly.

Remus stood, and started to make his way for Harry, but Sirius remained in his chair, his face in deep thought. "Sirius?" Remus said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Sirius ignored Remus and stood, making his way to where Dumbledore and Moody were talking. Remus watched in curiosity.

"I know a place, sir," Sirius said somewhat reluctantly.

Dumbledore turned and looked at Sirius as if knowing what the younger wizard was going to say. "Where, Sirius?" he asked quietly.

With a grim, lopsided smile, Sirius replied, "The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black."


	22. Twenty Two

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Two_

Arrangements had been made by Sirius to accompany Dumbledore and Moody to his childhood home just two days before the next full moon. Sirius was understandably reluctant to reenter the home he had not set foot in since he was sixteen years old.

Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place had not changed a bit since the last time Sirius had seen it. It was still dark and musty with a feeling of growing imprisonment in its walls. Dust had built up over time giving Sirius the thought that he was the first Black to see the floors since his dear mother had died.

"Looks empty," Moody growled, his magical eye spinning in all directions.

"That's creepy, Mad-Eye. You do know that, right?" Sirius said, watching the electric blue eye spin. It was starting to make him nauseous.

"Shut it, Black," Moody retorted quietly.

Sirius sighed and looked around the house. "Check the basement kitchen. There's a boiler cupboard down there where the old house-elf lives."

Moody's eye pointed down and began to move again. "Yeah, he's there."

"Is he alive?"

"Yeah."

"Damn," Sirius muttered.

Dumbledore studied their surroundings in interest. "With a bit of sprucing up, I believe this will suit our needs just fine," he said cheerfully

"Mmm," Sirius grunted. He really didn't want to be there again.

Dumbledore started down the hallway and stopped abruptly when a shrill piercing cry invaded their ears.

"HOW DARE YOU ENTER THE HOUSE OF MY FOREFATHERS!" cried Sirius' mother in her portrait. Her eyes spun around the hall and she spotted Sirius.

"_YOU!_" she hissed. "FILTH! ABOMINATION OF MY FLESH!"

"Shut up, you old hag!" Sirius yelled back. He brandished his wand and attempted to silence the portrait.

It didn't work.

"—BREAKING INTO MY HOME! BLOOD TRAITOR! MURDERER!"

They tried stunning the portrait. The mad woman still howled in fury.

"ABANDONER OF YOUR FAMILY! MUDBLOOD LOVER! _FILTHY GRYFFINDOR_!"

Moody searched furiously for something to silence the portrait. Finally, he tore off a moth-eaten curtain from a nearby window, and with the help of Dumbledore and Sirius, covered Mrs. Black's portrait, thus, silencing her.

The three wizards stood against the wall, panting for breath.

"Lovely woman, Walburga Black," Dumbledore said dryly.

"Wasn't much better in the flesh, I can assure you," Sirius said, panting.

"Kreacher wonders who has awoken his mistress. Kreacher hears Mistress' screams from his cupboard," said a croaking voice from behind the three wizards.

Sirius spun around and faced a thing just as bad as his mother: his mother's old house-elf.

"Kreacher," Sirius said coldly.

Kreacher looked up and his eyes widened. "Master has returned. But Master is with others. Who are they, Kreacher wonders."

Dumbledore crossed to the house-elf slowly. "Hello, Kreacher. I am Albus Dumbledore. This is Alastor Moody," he gestured to the scarred figure next to him, "and I am certain you already know Sirius."

"Kreacher wonders why the senile old coot is speaking to Kreacher as if he is Kreacher's friend," the house-elf muttered.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, but Sirius spoke first. "Watch what you say, _Kreacher_, or you'll be on that bloody wall sooner than you think."

"What wall?" Moody asked, looking at Sirius.

"Don't ask," Sirius replied darkly, not taking his eyes off Kreacher.

"Kreacher wonders why there is visitors. Mistress hasn't told of any guests to Kreacher. Kreacher wonders if his Mistress has invited them..."

"We were invited, Kreacher, by Sirius. He has allowed us to come have a look at this house." Dumbledore gestured around them.

"Master has invited them," Kreacher continued to mutter to himself. "Kreacher hears word that Master is a murderer and a follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Kreacher wonders if this is true."

"Kreacher, go back to your cupboard and stay there until we leave," Sirius growled through clenched teeth, still holding his wand in hopes of finding a reason to curse the house-elf.

Kreacher bowed low to the ground. "Kreacher must do what Kreacher is told. Even if Master is a blood traitor," he added under his breath as he retreated down the basement stairs.

Sirius made to go after him, but Dumbledore and Moody held him back.

"We have work to do, Sirius," Dumbledore warned sternly.

Sirius nodded resignedly after a moment and followed the older wizards up the staircase.

"Phineas says his other portrait is in your old bedroom, Sirius," Dumbledore said to Sirius' back.

Sirius nodded mutely, and led the way to the room in which he spent sixteen miserable years. "Just in there." He pointed to the closed door, but made no move to open it.

Dumbledore smiled slightly. "No need to go in just yet."

Sirius sighed in relief.

After a brief tour of the large house, they stood once more at the front door.

Dumbledore looked around him one more time. "Yes, I believe this will work wonderfully. Thank you, Sirius."

"No problem," Sirius said. "It's not as if I was going to use it for anything. Although fire wood would be nice..."

With that, the three wizards left Number Twelve and Apparated to Hogwarts for Dumbledore, the Ministry for Moody, and the cottage for Sirius.

* * *

"So how was it being back there?" Remus asked as he beat Sirius terribly at wizard's chess.

"Not much different than when I lived there. My dear mother screamed at me, called me a—what was it—an 'abomination of her flesh'; Kreacher muttered, called Dumbledore a senile old coot. The house itself was still as evil as it was ten years ago. Some things never change," Sirius said, as his queen was suffered a fatal blow from Remus' knight. "Like this." He gestured at the board. "You still kick my arse at chess."

Remus smiled. "Just like the good old days."

Sirius laughed and stretched. "Been taking your potion?"

"Yes," Remus replied. "Just as bitter as it was last month, but worth the feeling the day after."

Sirius nodded. "Where's Harry run off to?" he asked, looking around. "He was just here..."

"He went to get some of his coloring books," Remus replied as he watched the chess pieces mend themselves after a most brutal battle.

At that moment, Harry came back in the room with an arm full of crayons and a large book with dragons on the cover. He set himself up at the coffee table, kneeling before his supplies. He looked over at Sirius and Remus before starting on his drawing. "Are we going to Hogwarts tomorrow?" he asked.

"No, it's the day after tomorrow. You and I are going to Hogwarts, but Remus can't," Sirius told his godson.

Harry nodded and began to color a Norwegian Ridgeback. Sirius and Remus watched Harry color for an hour or so before Remus spoke. "Let's put this stuff up, Harry, you need your bath. You can finish your picture tomorrow."

Reluctantly, Harry nodded and closed his coloring book. "Okay."

Sirius helped Harry with his bath water, and left him alone to get himself clean.

While Harry bathed, Remus and Sirius helped themselves to a apple pudding.

"That woman can _cook_!" Sirius commented thickly through a mouthful of apple and pastry.

Remus nodded happily, but swallowed his delectable dessert before commenting. "Better than I ever could!"

Once Harry had finished his bath, Sirius read him a story, and he and Remus kissed him good night.

"So what've you got planned while you're at Hogwarts?" Remus asked once they had returned to the living room to pick up Harry's toys.

"I thought I'd take him to Hogsmeade. Show him the sights. Introduce him to _real_ butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks," Sirius replied, collapsing into his recliner.

Remus nodded and sat on the sofa. "Sounds good. I always preferred Three Broomsticks butterbeer to the stuff they sell in Diagon Alley."

"I think you just preferred _Madam Rosmerta_." Sirius grinned.

Remus blushed slightly. "Shut up, Padfoot."

Sirius laughed as a pillow flew at his face.

* * *

"Hi, Professor," Harry said as he and Sirius stepped out of the fireplace at Hogwarts.

"Hello, Harry, Sirius," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "How are you two gentlemen this fine evening?"

"Wonderful, sir," Sirius said, wiping soot from his robes.

Harry headed straight for Fawkes while Sirius sat across from Dumbledore. The two watched Harry and the phoenix interact for a few moments. Fawkes seemed to have gained a great liking for Harry.

"How are things at the Ministry, Sirius?" Dumbledore asked, handing Sirius a cup of tea.

"Thank you," Sirius said. "Things are crazy, sir. People keep owling in wanting to know why we haven't caught whoever was behind the attacks. Moody's had five Howlers so far. And Rita Skeeter keeps popping up asking for an interview with me, wanting to know what Azkaban has done to me, and what it's like raising _the Boy-Who-Lived."_

"And what did you say to her?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling merrily.

"Told her that if she didn't leave, I was going to shove her quill up her—er, somewhere inappropriate." Sirius caught himself and sent an apologetic look to the headmaster.

Dumbledore laughed. "Yes, she has been quite the pest since she began to work for the _Prophet_. Madam Bones has been forced to have guards around her to get away from Miss Skeeter's questioning."

Sirius shook his head. "That's ridiculous. As if Bones doesn't have enough on her plate as it is..."

Dumbledore nodded, but was unable to respond. Harry had started tugging on Sirius' cloak looking excited. "Can I have a phoenix, Sirius?" he asked eagerly.

Sirius laughed. "Er, they're pretty rare, Harry. I don't think we'll be able to find one in Diagon Alley."

Harry's face dropped slightly in disappointment. "Oh," he said, turning back to Fawkes.

"If you are anything like your father, Harry, I believe you will be seeing a lot of Fawkes, and this office, during your Hogwarts years," Dumbledore said, smiling at Harry.

Sirius barked a laugh. "Very true, sir. I got to know Fawkes quite well during school. Saw him at least once a week."

"Really? Why?" Harry asked.

"Because Professor Dumbledore loved to have the Marauders for tea," Sirius replied easily with a grin to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Well, I suppose I had better get back to work. The new term starts tomorrow, and there is much to be done."

Sirius stood. "Ah, yes, new term for all the Hogwarts kiddies. The best part about a new term was always the start of term feast. I really miss those. And hearing what Filch had banned during the summer. I think when we started it was at one-fifty, and by the time we graduated we were at three-twenty-seven."

Dumbledore rose and escorted Sirius and Harry to the door. "Yes, Argus did not seem to like the three of you," he said casually. "And as for my favorite part of start of term, I quite enjoyed the new term prank performed by a certain three students who shall remain nameless." The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes was near hypnotizing in mischievousness.

Sirius laughed. "Yeah, I enjoyed those too. Come on, Harry. Got your stag? Good. Thank you again sir, for allowing us to stay. It's much appreciated."

"Not at all, Sirius. Enjoy your evening." Dumbledore smiled.

Sirius and Harry walked down the stone steps and straight to their quarters.

"What are we going to do now?" Harry asked once he had put his bag into his room.

"Well, if you want, we could go down to the village and explore."

"Yeah!" Harry yelled excitedly, picking up his stag and going for the door. "Can we take the shortcut?"

Sirius grinned. _Like father, like son_, he thought happily. "I don't see why not," he said, taking the Marauder's Map from his bag.

"Can I do it?" Harry asked eagerly.

"Yeah, come here."

Harry took Sirius' wand carefully, and tapped the parchment. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered. The map appeared and Harry looked up to Sirius, smiling from ear to ear. "I did it!"

"Good job," Sirius said, taking back his wand. "You're a natural at that. Just don't tell Moony I let you use my wand."

"Okay! Come on!"

Harry held the map and led Sirius expertly through Hogwarts' main halls and corridors before they reached the familiar—at least to Sirius—humpbacked witch.

"Okay," Sirius whispered. "Make sure no one's coming."

Harry scanned the map with his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth and nodded. "Nothing." He grinned.

Sirius tapped the witch and muttered, "_Dissendium_."

Harry climbed in first and slid down the stone slide to the tunnel; Sirius was right behind him. "Do you have Prongs?" Harry asked when Sirius had stood from the ground.

"Yep. I'll trade you for the map."

Harry took his stag while Sirius wiped the map clean and neatly folded it, placing it into his robes. He muttered, "_Lumos_," to give them some light as they traveled through the dark tunnel.

Half an hour later, Sirius peeked through the stone trapdoor—all was clear. Sirius went through first, and helped Harry into the basement cellar of Honeyduke's. Quietly, they went up the cellar stairs, avoiding the creaking step that had almost had the Marauders caught once or twice, and peeked carefully through the door. The shop owner's back was turned helping a customer select some chocolates. Quickly and quietly, Sirius and Harry tiptoed their way across the shop, and out the door.

"That was cool," Harry said happily.

Sirius grinned. "Yeah, it was. Come on, let's go see if Zonko's has anything new."

The two spent an hour checking out things they could possibly prank Remus with. By the end, Sirius had spent fifteen galleons and ten sickles.

"Where to next?" Harry asked, balancing his stag and a small bag of prank supplies in his arms.

"How about the Three Broomsticks?" Sirius suggested.

Harry agreed, and minutes later, they walked through the door of the pub Sirius and James had tasted their first firewhiskey.

"Sirius Black!" cried a voice from behind the bar. "I wondered whether or not you'd come to see me!"

"Rosie, m'dear! Looking beautiful as ever! How are you?" Sirius said as Madam Rosmerta came from behind the bar to hug Sirius.

"I'm doing great," she replied. "And who is this?" she added as she looked down at Harry with a large, friendly smile.

"Rosie, this is Harry. Harry, this is Madam Rosmerta," Sirius introduced them.

Harry smiled shyly and said hello.

"You can call me Rosie, Harry. My god, he looks just like James," Rosmerta said to Sirius. "Come on back, I'll get you a table."

She led Sirius and Harry though the tables of customers, most of which were staring openly at the two of them.

Both ignored it.

"Your usual table, Mr. Black," Rosmerta said as she wiped the table clean.

"Thank you, Rosie," Sirius said, taking a seat next to Harry.

"What can I get you boys tonight? Anything you want, it's on the house for my favorite customer," Rosmerta said happily, taking a pad of parchment and a quill from her pocket.

"Why thank you, Rosie, that's really sweet of you. I think we'll both have the special, and two butterbeers," Sirius said.

Rosmerta nodded and said their orders would be right out, then headed back to the bar to serve her other customers.

"Can we go see Hagrid later?" Harry asked, looking around the pub.

"Sure, that's fine," Sirius replied.

People were still looking at their table in curiosity. _At least they're not whispering this time, _Sirius thought gratefully.

Rosmerta floated over their drinks to the table moments later.

"Cheers, Harry," Sirius said, clinking his glass against Harry's. He took a large gulp and sighed happily. "Oh yeah. I've missed that."

"This is really good!" Harry exclaimed, sipping from his mug carefully so he wouldn't spill butterbeer all over.

"Yeah, just wait until you try the food!"

At that very moment, their food arrived at the table. Sirius and Harry ate quietly and happily, occasionally telling the other how good the food was.

Once they had finished clearing their plates, Sirius and Harry had another round of butterbeer at Rosmerta's insistence. After thanking the barmaid graciously and promising a return in the near future, Sirius and Harry set off towards the castle.

"Why aren't we going through the secret passage?" Harry asked, holding his stag in one hand, and Sirius' hand in the other. Sirius had shrunk their Zonko's bags for the trip back.

"Because it will be harder not to get caught at this time of night. There aren't many people in Honeyduke's," Sirius said.

"Oh."

As they made their way through the Hogwarts gates, Sirius looked up to the full moon, wondering how Remus was fairing tonight.

Sirius and Harry passed the winged boars and trudged their way across the grounds to Hagrid's hut.

"You think he's home?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes to see the small hut.

"I'm sure he will be, unless he's up at the castle."

They walked up to the wooden hut and knocked. There was no answer. They waited a few moments before deciding Hagrid wasn't at home. Sirius and Harry turned back towards the castle when they heard a booming bark coming from the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Harry detached himself from Sirius and ran to greet Fang. The boarhound launched himself onto Harry, knocking him to the ground. Harry's stag flew somewhere to his left.

"Fang!" Harry laughed as Fang drooled all over him. Sirius would have helped his godson if he hadn't been so busy laughing.

"FANG!" boomed a new voice. Hagrid had just emerged from the forest. He chuckled at the sight before him and easily pulled the large dog off of the small six-year-old.

"Hello, Harry, Sirius! How are yeh?" Hagrid asked, picking Harry up and dusting some of the dirt from his clothes. The force nearly knocked Harry to the ground again.

"We're well, Hagrid. Just got back from the village. Thought I'd show Harry the sights," Sirius replied, still snickering to himself.

"Well, come in, come in. I got some tea an' I jus made rock cakes!" Hagrid said, leading the two to his hut.

"Ah, tea would be wonderful, Hagrid, but we just ate. No need for the rock cakes."

"Suit yerself," Hagrid replied.

They entered the small house and Sirius and Harry sat around the large table while Hagrid made tea.

"How's it feel bein' back at the Ministry, Sirius?" Hagrid asked, sitting next to Harry. Fang had his head resting on Harry's knee, and was now drooling contently.

"It feels good. I mean, it's been busy around there, and some of the new Aurors are running around like a Hippogriff with its head chopped off, but I'm used to that. James and I started out at the worst possible time for new Aurors, so it's nothing I can't deal with," Sirius said, sipping his tea.

"Yeah, I understan'. I remember Lily tellin' me 'bout that sister of hers. Sounds rotten if yeh ask me," Hagrid whispered while Harry and Fang played on the floor.

"Yeah, she's something else alright. I'm not happy she's dead or anything—no one deserves to die that way—well, I can think of a few people, but you know what I mean," Sirius said.

"I know what yeh mean. How's Remus these days?"

"Not bad. He's been teaching Harry how to read and write and stuff. They both seem to be enjoying that." Sirius laughed as Fang pinned Harry to the floor, and licked his face. Harry's glasses went flying from his face. Sirius summoned, cleaned, and placed the round-rimmed spectacles into his robes for safekeeping.

Sirius and Hagrid talked for another hour until Harry fell asleep. The younger wizard thanked Hagrid for the tea, removed Harry's hold on Fang and headed back to the castle. Sirius' good mood came to a very abrupt end when he spotted one of the few people that could cause him to do something worthy of being thrown right back into Azkaban for a life stay.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Sirius Black. Long time no see," said the cold drawling voice of Sirius' cousin-in-law, Lucius Malfoy.

"Malfoy," Sirius said coldly, still holding a sleeping Harry.

"And is this who I think it is? Yes, I can see his scar. How _adorable_ it is to see the Boy-Who-Lived in the arms of a mad mass murderer," Malfoy said softly, looking closely at the boy in Sirius' arms.

"How's Pettigrew these days, Malfoy? You and him getting all chummy with Voldemort again?" Sirius sneered, his hold increasing on his godson.

"Tsk, tsk, Black. You shouldn't say his name. Why would I have anything to do with a traitor like him and the Dark Lord?" Malfoy said softly.

Sirius heard the noise of heavy, ragged breathing below him. He looked down and saw a house-elf with large tennis ball eyes looking at him and Harry in awe. It seemed he was fighting to say something, but he remained quiet.

Sirius looked back to Malfoy's smirking face and narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

"Having a word with the Headmaster, Black. I am a school governor, after all. Must attend to the less desirable things once in a while," the other wizard replied smoothly, examining his fingernails.

"Well, it seems your business here is complete. Why don't you go on back to your mansion and start planning what you want your cell in Azkaban to look like," Sirius spat.

Malfoy made a face of mock-surprise. "But I thought the Azkaban guards didn't allow interior decorating. You should know. I bet the dementors miss you, Black." He smirked again.

If Harry hadn't been in his arms, Sirius would have taken that smirk right off his face. Instead, he did something he had never done before: Sirius Black walked away from a fight. It wasn't worth his time, and he had to get Harry to bed—it was long past his bedtime. He walked straight up the castle steps, and left Malfoy and his elf staring at him.

"The Dark Lord will rise again, Black. You can count on that," Malfoy whispered. "Come, Dobby, I have better things to do than converse with blood traitors and half-breeds."

Sirius stopped in his tracks, and debated heavily on setting Harry down on the steps to curse Malfoy straight to hell. Malfoy, however, walked away, kicking his house-elf as he crossed the grounds. Sirius shook his head in disgust and continued to their quarters. His first order of business at work the next day would be to have Moody send a team of Aurors to search the Malfoy Manor, just for the fun of it.

In Harry's room, Sirius quietly and gently laid his godson down in bed, took of his jacket and shoes, and covered him up. He removed Harry's glasses from his cloak and placed them on the bedside table. Sirius kissed Harry's forehead and looked around. Something was missing from the scene.

_Where's his stag?_ Sirius thought, perplexed. Harry hadn't left that thing anywhere since he got it for his birthday… Then he remembered Fang knocking Harry to the ground, and his stag flying from his arms. Sirius amused himself with the thought of James flying around in stag form for a moment. Harry didn't seem to notice that he didn't have his faithful stuffed animal—they could get it in the morning.

Sirius left Harry's room and went to his own bed. He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

Moony curled up contently on the basement floor, basking in the moonlight. The wolf had showed no signs of unleashing itself on its human counterpart, and Remus was happy to know that he wouldn't wake up in a pool of blood in the morning.

As he yawned, Moony had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't something he had felt before, not on a full moon anyway. The last time Remus had had this feeling was the night Lily and James were murdered. It was the sense of something terrible. Something was very wrong. But what was it? Sirius and Harry were safe at Hogwarts; nothing could touch them there with Dumbledore around...

Blaming it on over-protectiveness, Remus fell asleep in the corner, the thought of bacon and eggs going happily through the werewolf's dreams.

* * *

Harry could not sleep. He tried and tried, but he just couldn't keep his eyes closed. He had woken up just a few minutes after Sirius left the room, looking for Prongs, but he wasn't there. Harry sat up in bed and sighed. He remembered exactly where his stag had gone, but he'd forgotten to pick it up before going into Hagrid's hut.

Harry got out of bed and quietly crossed to Sirius' room. His godfather was sleeping on his back, his arms and legs spread over the bed, and his mouth hanging open. If Harry hadn't been so preoccupied with his stag, he probably would have thought of a very humorous prank to play on him.

Cautiously, Harry approached him. "Sirius," he whispered, poking his godfather's arm.

Sirius didn't stir.

"Sirius," he said a bit louder.

"Mmph," was the reply.

"Sirius, wake up, I left Prongs at Hagrid's."

Sirius replied with something that sounded like "mimble wimble," and went on snoring.

Frowning, Harry looked around the room. Through the window, he could see the full moon shining brightly across the grounds. There was plenty of light...

Harry thought for a moment, and nodded to himself. It wouldn't be hard, crossing the grounds to Hagrid's. And didn't Remus and Sirius always say that Hogwarts was one of the safest places in the world?

Smiling at his decision, Harry left Sirius' room, put his shoes and a jacket on, and headed out the quarter's door. He stealthily went through the castle corridors without any incident—he'd been through them enough times to know where he was going. Harry pushed open the castle doors easily and stepped out into the moonlight.

He crossed the grounds quickly. Things seemed a lot different at Hogwarts in the nighttime, and Harry was eager to get back into his bed. The wind was still, and the only noises were owls hooting in the distance and Harry's feet crunching the grass.

He remembered a dream he'd had when he'd first come to live with Sirius and Remus. There was a dog, a wolf, and a stag playing in a forest that looked just like the one he was headed towards. Of course, all forests kind of looked alike, but try telling that to a six-year-old. With that thought, Harry sped his walk to Hagrid's feeling a bit more comforted.

Harry reached the edge of the forest in no time and began looking for Prongs. The boy thought he had heard a low, menacing growl from behind him, but when he looked around, he saw nothing. His mind must have been playing tricks on him. A large smile formed on Harry's face as he spotted his stag. Walking over to it, his back facing the forest, he picked up his stuffed animal, and made to head back to the castle.

The last thing Harry felt before he was knocked out was a pair of rough, strong hands grabbing him around the waist and neck, dragging him deep into the Forbidden Forest. His stag still lay forgotten at the edge of the trees.


	23. Twenty Three

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Three_

Sirius woke the next morning with a strange feeling in his stomach. Whether it was hunger or nerves, he didn't know. He opened his eyes and looked blearily at the ceiling, trying to remember what he had been dreaming about. It had something to do with a coconut, a box of Filibuster Fireworks, and Snape. Normally, the thought of pranking Snape made Sirius giddy, but not this morning. He had the feeling something wasn't quite right in the world.

Shaking off the feeling momentarily and going with the hunger hypothesis, Sirius got out of bed and headed to Harry's room to take him for some breakfast. At that very moment, Sirius' stomach growled loudly as if it was telling him to get a move on already.

Sirius opened Harry's door fully and looked into the room. All thoughts of food drained from him in an instant. He raised an eyebrow. Harry's bed was empty. "Harry?" he called to the empty room.

He walked across the wooden floor to Harry's bed. His godson's glasses were gone, and his bed felt as if it had been empty for hours. Glancing at his watch, his feelings of unrest increased—it was only 8:30; Harry never got up this early...

Striding out of the room, Sirius crossed to the bathroom which was empty. "Harry?" he called again. There was no answer.

_Where could he be?_

Trying not to get frantic, Sirius went back to Harry's room for another look. It was obvious Harry wasn't in the vicinity, so he checked the rest of the quarters, including under his own bed, finding nothing.

"Harry, where are you?" he yelled across the common room. Maybe Harry was playing a game of hide-and-seek with his unknowing godfather. "Harry James Potter, if you are in this room, come out NOW!"

Nothing, not even a giggle giving away Harry's location. Sirius spun on his heel to search the room for the hundredth time. It was then that Sirius noticed three things he had somehow missed on his initial searches: Harry's jacket was gone, so were his shoes, and why the hell was the door open?

Sirius ran out of the room full speed wearing only his plaid pajama bottoms, and ran half-naked along the Hogwarts corridors calling for Harry. He turned a corner and ran full force into none other than the Headmaster. Sirius was knocked to the ground, but somehow, the older man stayed where he stood.

Dumbledore looked amusedly down at Sirius' panting, breathless form. "My dear boy," Dumbledore said, reaching out a hand to help the younger wizard up, "why are you in such a hurry?"

Sirius stood and immediately began telling Dumbledore what happened. "Harry! He's gone! I don't know where he is! You have to help me find him!" he said, panicking.

The amusement evident on the Headmaster's face died. "Calm yourself, Sirius. We will find Harry. He can't have gone far."

Sirius took a few deep breaths, trying and failing to remain calm, before Dumbledore spoke again. "Where do you think Harry could have gone, Sirius?" he asked quietly. He was quite calm under the circumstances, which helped to calm Sirius down a bit.

"I-I don't—" Sirius broke off, his face had gone, if possible, even more white than before he was knocked to the ground. "Prongs," he breathed with wide eyes.

"What do you mean, Sirius?"

"Prongs! Harry's stag! Harry dropped it while we were at Hagrid's last night!" Sirius cried impatiently. "I-I think he tried to wake me up last night to tell me, but..." His voice cracked. He stared unseeingly into the opposite corridor.

"Come, then," Dumbledore said, snapping Sirius away from his thoughts. "We will go to Hagrid's."

Half-running, Sirius and Dumbledore made their way through the castle and across the grounds. Hagrid and Fang were already up and outside, tending to gamekeeper's garden.

"Hagrid!" Dumbledore called as they moved towards the garden.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir, Sirius, good mornin'! Sirius, why ain't you dressed?" Hagrid said cheerfully.

"Now is not the time for that, Hagrid," Dumbledore said quickly. "Have you seen Harry this morning?"

"No, I haven'," Hagrid replied, looking a tad confused by the question. "But I did find tha' stuffed animal he carries ev'rywhere."

Hagrid reached into one of his many coat pockets and pulled out Harry's stag. Sirius grabbed for it, tears unknowingly welling in his gray eyes.

"Sirius," Dumbledore said gently. "Would Harry have gone into the forest by chance?"

"The forest?" Hagrid asked loudly. "Why would he—" Dumbledore silenced him so that Sirius could speak.

Sirius sniffed and looked into the dark trees. "Not without me or his stag," he replied flatly.

"I should like to search the forest and grounds for Harry. With any luck, we will find him nearby and unharmed. Hagrid, inform the staff to begin searching the castle, grounds, and Hogsmeade. Sirius and I will begin in the forest. Have Minerva contact Remus and bring him here," Dumbledore said.

Hagrid looked both confused and horrified at the prospect of Harry being alone in the forest, but did as he was told. He left Fang with Sirius and Dumbledore, and bounded quickly to the castle.

"Come, Sirius, let's begin," Dumbledore said quietly.

Sirius nodded slowly. Not lessening his grasp on Harry's stag, he followed Dumbledore into the forest.

* * *

Remus awoke as the sun's morning rays hit his corner. For the second month in a row, he had had a pleasant, quiet, and most importantly, pain-free full moon. He pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms and started up the stairs to make some breakfast; he was unusually hungry. Remus retrieved his wand from the kitchen table and started to heat the stove.

Just as he pulled out an egg from the fridge, a _pop_ from behind him caused him to drop the object in his hand. Remus turned around and found panicked Minerva McGonagall.

"Professor, what are you—" Remus was cut off.

"Harry was not in his bed this morning. Dumbledore and Sirius are currently searching the forest. You need to come quickly, Remus," McGonagall said in one shaky breath.

"Wasn't in his bed? Why the hell not?" Remus said calmly, though his insides were tightening in fear.

"I don't know," McGonagall said. "We need to get back to the castle."

Remus ran to his bedroom and pulled on the first shirt he spotted. Once he put on his untied shoes, he ran back to the kitchen where McGonagall waited patiently.

Without a word, both Apparated to the Hogwarts gates. Not waiting for his former professor, Remus sprinted full force in the direction of the forest. He came to a halt just before Hagrid as the tall man stepped out of his hut, his bow in his hand.

"Where—are—they?" Remus panted frantically.

"Still in the forest," Hagrid replied. "I was just headin' in there meself to help 'em."

Before either of them could speak another word, Dumbledore, Fang, and a very panicked looking Sirius emerged from the trees.

"Where is he?" Remus yelled, crossing to the other two.

Sirius, it seemed, couldn't speak, and Remus was sure he hadn't not even noticed him, let alone heard him. Sirius collapsed unknowingly in the very spot Harry had been taken from the night before.

"We have searched the forest. The centaurs, who were most helpful, claim to have seen a man in a black cloak with an unconscious boy that matches Harry's description in his arms late last night. I believe they have Apparated away," Dumbledore explained.

"That's _impossible_!" Remus roared. "You can't Apparate or Disapparate on Hogwarts grounds! You—"

Dumbledore silenced him. "There is a spot, deep within the forest, from which one can Apparate or Disapparate. Not many know of it. That knowledge is only held by two living people: myself and Tom Riddle."

"Who the _hell_ is Tom Riddle?" Remus screamed. Not understanding why Dumbledore could be so calm.

"Voldemort."

It was now Remus' turn to fall shaking to the ground. Sirius must have been already told this information, which explained his current state.

_Voldemort knows how to get in and out of Hogwarts?_ Remus thought, horrified. _Does that mean he has Harry?_

"Please, Sirius, Remus, come to my office. I will need to alert the Minister of this," Dumbledore said quietly.

With Hagrid's help, Sirius and Remus made their way to Dumbledore's office. Neither wizard really knew where they were going; they were too far into their own thoughts to really care.

As they walked, thousands of thoughts flooded Remus' mind. Where was Harry? Was he okay? Was he hurt? Was he hungry? Was he cold? Was he... _dead_? That last thought nearly made Remus' legs collapse from beneath him, but Hagrid, thankfully, maintained a tight old of his arm.

The journey to Dumbledore's office was made in silence broken only when Dumbledore spoke the password to the stone gargoyle. Wordlessly, Hagrid helped Sirius and Remus to Dumbledore's sofa, and sat in a chair across from the headmaster's desk. Sirius hadn't said a word since Remus' arrival; he sat clutching Harry's stag closely to his chest, too stunned to even cry.

Dumbledore Flooed the Ministry and spoke at lengths with both Minister Bones and Alastor Moody. Remus heard none of the words—he was numb again. His mind was completely empty of all thoughts, his body numb from any feeling.

How could this have happened?

Many long minutes later, Dumbledore left the fireplace and sat heavily into his chair, staring at the two distraught men before him.

Remus somehow managed to raise his head, and speak only one word to the Headmaster. "How?"

Dumbledore remained silent for a moment. "From what I have gathered, Harry left his stuffed animal near the forest last night. He tried to wake Sirius, but was unsuccessful. Harry took it upon himself to cross the grounds to retrieve his stag, and I believe that was when he was taken."

Remus remained quiet, letting the words Dumbledore had spoken sink in. Harry left a toy by the forest. On a full moon. The scenario was so familiar to Remus; in his case, he was bitten by a werewolf, not kidnapped.

A sudden surge of anger built up in Remus. He stood, and turned furiously towards Sirius. "HOW COULD YOU LET HIM GO LIKE THAT? ARE YOU REALLY THAT IRRESPONSIBLE? YOU IGNORED HIM WHEN HE WAS TRYING TO GET YOUR ATTENTION, AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED! HOW COULD YOU, SIRIUS? THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! I TRUSTED YOU TO KEEP HIM SAFE AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS? YOU LET YOUR BEST FRIENDS' SON GET KIDNAPPED BY GOD KNOWS WHO!" Remus yelled like he had never done before. If you were to ask him months from now why he had blamed it all on Sirius, he wouldn't be able to say.

Dumbledore and Hagrid were stunned; they had never seen Remus lose his temper like this before. The last time Dumbledore had seen the wrath of the werewolf was in his sixth year when Sirius told Snape how to get past the Whomping Willow. But even that was nothing compared to Remus' face currently.

Sirius remained the way he was before Remus yelled. He continued to stare at Dumbledore's desk. He had heard Remus shout, everyone in the castle probably had, but only certain phrases got through to his brain. But he couldn't react immediately.

Sirius looked up with wide, wet eyes and looked at his friend. Hagrid had reprimanded him in the fear Remus would attack his friend. "Sorry..." Sirius whispered over and over.

Remus fell limp in Hagrid's arms, overcome with emotion at the look on Sirius' face, and the thought of never seeing Harry again. Hagrid sat Remus gently in a chair, while Dumbledore watched the exchange, his face betraying no emotion.

After things had calmed, Dumbledore spoke quietly. "Alastor is sending four teams of Aurors to search the grounds, forest, and castle more thoroughly for any possible clues. They should be arriving any moment."

Remus and Sirius barely heard him.

Dumbledore gently asked Sirius to recount the day's events from when he and Harry left the castle, to the morning. He did so without any emotion.

"...And when we were getting ready to go into the castle," he said in a hollow voice, "we ran into..." Sirius paused, his eyes showing a revelation. "_Malfoy_."

"Lucius Malfoy?" Dumbledore said sharply.

Sirius nodded numbly. "Him and his house-elf. He said he was meeting with you," he said, meeting Dumbledore's eyes.

Dumbledore stood and turned to Hagrid. "Hagrid," he said quickly. "Find Alastor Moody and tell him to send an Auror team to search Malfoy Manor."

Hagrid stood, nodded, and quickly left the office.

"Do you think Malfoy has Harry?" Remus said hoarsely. The yelling he had done at Sirius did a number on his throat; it felt raw.

"I do not know, Remus, but it cannot hurt to check."

Dumbledore then excused himself to have a word with the staff and Aurors, leaving Sirius and Remus alone.

Remus lifted his head, and looked to his best friend. He was a bit startled to find Sirius looking back. Remus didn't fail to notice the haunted look Azkaban had left in Sirius' eyes had returned in full force.

"I'm sorry," Sirius whispered again, almost pleadingly.

"And I'm sorry for yelling at you," Remus responded.

They both looked away, carried by their thoughts. Neither man wanted to even speculate that Harry may have already been killed. Or worse.

Why would Voldemort want Harry? That was an easy one... that damned prophecy. Dumbledore said the Dark Lord had not heard it all, but that only meant that Voldemort wouldn't hesitate to send one of his cronies to kidnap Harry and kill him.

What else could Voldemort want from him?

Sirius and Remus waited quietly and impatiently for Dumbledore's return.

It seemed like hours later had passed when Dumbledore finally walked through the office door once again. This time he was accompanied by Sirius's boss, Alastor Moody.

The younger wizards looked expectantly at Dumbledore as he sat behind his desk.

"Alastor has sent a team to search Lucius Malfoy's home. They are to report back immediately if anything is found. The forest will be searched for a third time, shortly. The second turned up nothing," the headmaster said.

"You said there was an Apparition point in the forest," Remus began hoarsely. "How does Voldemort know about it?"

Dumbledore sighed heavily. "In his youth, Voldemort was known as Tom Riddle. He attended school here, and was even appointed Head Boy. One night, Tom was exploring the forest and happened upon the spot. The H at the time, Armando Dippet, had placed wards around the grounds and forest to warn him if any student was to cross its bounds. Dippet heard the wards sound, and a search was commenced by myself and the groundskeeper at the time, Ogg. Deep into the forest, our search resulted in finding Tom Riddle, at this time, Head Boy, Apparating in a spot void of grass or growth of any kind.

"Tom was, of course, taken back to the castle and thoroughly questioned as to how he learned how to Apparate from the Forbidden Forest, and where he had been. Our questioning led to nothing; Tom claimed he happened upon the spot accidentally and had never used it before that night. He said he had been in Diagon Alley.

"After Tom left this office and returned to the Head Boy quarters, I returned to the forest and placed an exceptionally strong anti-Apparition charm around the area. It has been in place for nearly forty years. The charms must have worn off recently, allowing Apparition," Dumbledore concluded.

The room remained in stone cold silence—the other three occupants were staring open-mouthed at Dumbledore. Nobody knew what to say.

"We will find Harry," Dumbledore said as he stood after long minutes of silence. "If you'll excuse Alastor and myself, we must speak with the staff."

He and Moody left once more to speak with the Auror teams.

"We have to find him," Sirius spoke. "We _have _to get him back..."

Remus couldn't have responded if he knew how to comfort his friend; he couldn't even comfort himself.

Sirius was right; they had to get Harry back. Remus wanted to believe what Dumbledore said—they would get Harry back—but there was still a nagging voice inside his head shouting _what if..._

* * *

Hours had passed since Harry had disappeared. Morning turned to early afternoon, and no news as to where Harry could possibly be had come.

There were no leads at Malfoy Manor, and Malfoy himself had offered his services to aid their search for the "charming little boy," as he put it. Remus and Sirius were sure the blond-headed git was laughing after the Aurors walked out his door when the search ended.

And as for Remus and Sirius, the two wizards assisted in searching everywhere around Hogwarts, even enlisting the help of the Marauder's Map, but found no trace of Harry anywhere. Dumbledore had half-heartedly suggested they get a bite to eat in the kitchens, but no matter how much food was placed before them, neither could eat anything.

"Do you think he's okay?" Sirius asked quietly.

Remus looked at his pale, grief-stricken friend. He looked exactly how Remus felt: empty. "I hope so," he responded hoarsely.

"I should be out there. I need to be searching for Harry. I shouldn't be sitting in this goddamned kitchen doing nothing!" Sirius said loudly. He banged his fist on the table, causing a few plates of food to fall to the ground and shatter. Some of the house-elves rushed to clean the mess; neither wizard noticed.

For Remus, it felt as though he was losing Lily and James all over again. He'd had a taste of what happiness could be, and once again, it was violently ripped away from him. Remus had sworn he would never allow any harm to fall upon Harry and Sirius. He failed.

Harry was god knows where, with god knows who, having god knows what being done to him.

And Sirius... Sirius looked as though he had lost everything in a few short hours. His life had collapsed around him again. Harry had become Sirius' world in less than two months. His life revolved around his godson—the son of his two best friends. Sirius wanting to jump into action and rescue Harry was no surprise, but Remus knew it would be best to leave it to the Aurors who weren't so emotionally attached.

For the moment anyway...

Sirius stood suddenly. "I'm going to see if Dumbledore's heard anything, yet."

Remus nodded, and silently followed Sirius out the kitchen doors and in the direction of the Headmaster's office. Sirius, Remus noted, still held Harry's stag close to him; he hadn't let it out of his sight once.

Walking through the corridors, a vague thought drifted through Remus' mind: today was the first of September; in a few short hours, the new term for Hogwarts students would begin. They were probably heading to the Hogsmeade station that very moment, enjoying treats from the lunch trolley.

In five years, Harry would be one of those students. Laughing and meeting new friends, just as Remus had done his first day of school. He would make his way through the Great Hall, try on the Sorting Hat. No doubt that Harry would be sorted into Gryffindor, just like his parents.

_If he lives that long..._ said a sinister voice in Remus' mind.

_Shut up,_ Remus thought back firmly. _He will be okay..._

Remus said the password to get to Dumbledore's office and after the gargoyle moved, Sirius led the way slowly up the spiral staircase.

Sirius quietly knocked on the door using the golden lion doorknocker and the door swung open slowly on its own accord.

Before Remus could move into the doorway, Sirius stopped in his tracks.

"What the _hell_ is _he_ doing here?" Sirius yelled.

Remus stepped around his friend and groaned inwardly. Sitting across from Dumbledore was the one person who could quite possibly make the entire situation ten times worse: Severus Snape.


	24. Twenty Four

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Four_

Harry opened his eyes painfully to reveal the blurry outline of the room he was in. He reached a hand to his face and felt something missing—somehow, he had lost his glasses.

Looking around, Harry could not decipher where he was. Was he still at Hogwarts? From what he could see, the room was dark, save a sliver of light coming from a boarded up window across the room. The cold cement ground was dusty. This couldn't be Hogwarts...

Harry attempted to stand, but his legs gave way with a sharp pain in his lower back. Sniffing and rubbing the spot that hurt, Harry pushed himself against the wall.

"Sirius!" he cried out hoarsely. "Remus!"

Harry's guardians didn't answer. He began to cry harder. He wanted to go home, away from wherever he was now. The small room reminded him strongly of the cupboard under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house. But Harry couldn't be back there; Remus and Sirius promised he would never have to go back there again.

Harry winced as he pulled his knees to his chest. Once of his shoes was missing, and his jacket was torn and dirty. Unexpectedly, a pain Harry had never felt before erupted in his forehead. Harry clapped his hand against his lightning bolt scar. It felt as though his head was about to burst any second. Harry cried louder, wishing with everything he had that someone would find him. The pain in his head stopped just as abruptly as it had started.

The door to the room slowly opened with a creak. Through his tears and puffy, red eyes, Harry could see a silhouette in the door way. The figure lit the tip of his wand and pointed it inside the room, searching. After a few seconds, the light stopped on Harry. Harry closed his eyes tightly against the invasion of sudden light.

He could hear the scuffling of shoes across the dusty floor, and heard heavy breathing stop just in front of him. Harry looked up and felt his stomach sink; this was not who he wanted to find him.

The figure was a short, fat, bald man. His watery blue eyes were staring down at Harry with the glow of the light. The man knelt down and looked into Harry's shining green eyes. If Harry knew what it meant, he would know that the man's eyes showed recognition, and perhaps little remorse.

"Sirius," Harry tried to shout; it came out as a hoarse whisper.

"H-he won't b-be c-coming for you," the man stuttered.

"Sirius!" Harry finally screamed.

The man clapped his hand hard over Harry's mouth. Harry opened his mouth again to scream, and instead, bit down hard on the man's hand. The man jumped back and yelped.

Harry stood as best he could and made to run from the room. The man turned and pointed his wand at the boy, and yelled a word Harry had never heard before. A bright flash of light flew across the room and hit Harry in the back, pulling him away from the door and causing him to smash into a wall.

Harry heard a sickening crack over his cries of pain; his leg had broken.

The man stood and crossed to where Harry had fallen. The boy was curled up holding his leg. He silenced Harry's cries and screams with a wave of his wand and shot out ropes, binding Harry's arms and legs tightly.

Without another word, the man left the room, leaving Harry to cry silently.

* * *

Remus stood next to Sirius recalling something Lily had once told him: some Muggle called Murphy had said "Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong." Well, at the moment, things could not get any more wrong than this.

"What—is—he—doing—here?" Sirius said through gritted teeth. Snape turned in the chair he was seated in and sneered at the two new arrivals.

Dumbledore slowly stood and motioned for Sirius and Remus to take a seat before he spoke. "I have asked Severus to join us. He may be of some assistance."

Remus raised a skeptical eyebrow, but didn't say anything. He silently led Sirius to the sofa next to Dumbledore's desk that they had become so familiar with. He was careful to sit closest to Snape or Sirius might have attacked him.

The two of them sat. Sirius hadn't removed his eyes from Snape; Remus looked to Dumbledore for what he hoped would be a very good explanation.

There was a dreadfully tense silence before Sirius growled, still glaring at Snape, "Well?"

With half a glance at Snape, Dumbledore spoke. "In order to find Harry, Severus has offered to track down certain followers of Voldemort for information. This afternoon, he received an invitation to meet with Lucius Malfoy at an undisclosed location. Severus believes—and I must agree with him—that this location is where we will find Harry."

Remus narrowed his eyes slightly. "Why would Malfoy invite Snape to wherever Harry is? If Malfoy is hiding Harry somewhere, wouldn't he want to keep that information to himself?"

Dumbledore looked at Snape once more. This time a silent question must have passed between them; Snape nodded once.

"During the war," Dumbledore began, "I am sure you will recall the odds against the light side once Voldemort began recruiting spies. At that time, the only safe circle in the wizarding world was the Order of the Phoenix. This, of course, was before Pettigrew showed his true colors. We were backed against a wall; many of our top members were being brutally murdered. A year after your graduation from Hogwarts, Severus came to me and presented the Dark Mark that is still branded upon his arm."

"Hold on one damned second!" Sirius said loudly. "He's a bloody Death Eater? And you expect us to trust him to get my godson back?"

Remus silenced him with a sharp look. He turned back to Dumbledore, and a few things clicked in his mind. "Snape was the spy..." he said quietly.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. For the few remaining years of Voldemort's reign, Severus reported information to me in order to prevent many attacks. It was he who informed me of a traitor on our side, though he did not know who. Severus realized somebody was passing information regarding Lily and James Potter to Voldemort. And he did this at great risk to himself."

Sirius finally moved his eyes away from Snape, and onto Dumbledore. "And what makes you think, _sir_, that he's actually switched sides? How do you know that he isn't still working for Voldemort?"

"That, Sirius, is between myself and Severus," Dumbledore said, ending the discussion of Snape's loyalty. Even Sirius wasn't stupid enough to pick a fight with the Headmaster. "The matter at hand is finding out where Harry is and bringing him back safely. I think we can all agree on that."

Sirius and Remus nodded; neither looked to see if Snape agreed.

"I have arranged for a small group of Aurors, including Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shacklebolt, to track down the location Severus will be arriving this evening. He will leave just after the start of term feast. I, along with a select group of Order members will meet at Sirius' old home and devise a plan from there."

Remus opened his mouth to speak, but Sirius beat him. "We're going, too," he said firmly as though begging for an argument from the headmaster.

Dumbledore nodded. "Of course. I would not ask you to stay behind. Until the feast has ended, however, I must ask the two of you to go to Number Twelve and await further instructions. Alastor and Kingsley will be awaiting your arrival."

"So we just... _wait_?" Sirius said loudly, his temper boiling over. "By the time the damn feast is done, Harry could be..." he trailed off, looking at the floor.

"Potter will not be harmed yet," Snape spoke for the first time since their arrival.

"What makes you think that?" Remus asked as calmly as he could.

"Because he is needed for something else, something more terrible. He would be of no use if he was dead," Snape replied softly, not looking at the other two wizards.

Remus tiredly rubbed his face with his hands and glanced at Sirius. His friend was beginning to shake—it was a good sign that he was about to lose his temper completely. Remus had to get him away from Snape before Sirius took out all his anger on the Slytherin.

Remus' temper was not fairing much better. How could Snape sit there and speak so calmly about what was happening to Harry when he and Sirius were ready to lose their minds with worry? Remus had to remind himself that Snape never liked James and the Marauders, and that hatred probably stretched to Harry as well.

"The two of you should be off," Dumbledore said quietly. "Alastor and Kingsley are waiting."

Remus shakily stood and a moment later, so did Sirius. Dumbledore led them to the fireplace, handed them the jar of Floo powder and watched as Remus and Sirius said the address of their destination. The two wizards disappeared in a whirl of green flames.

Dumbledore turned back to Snape. "Come, Severus, we must prepare for this evening," he said.

Snape nodded and followed Dumbledore from the room, instinctively grasping his left forearm.

It was sure to be a long night…

* * *

"Lucius," hissed the high voice from behind the chair.

Lucius Malfoy held back the urge to gulp in fear and crossed the room. There was only one thing in the entire world that Malfoy feared, and that was the wrath of the Dark Lord. Though he'd supported his master since before his graduation from Hogwarts many years ago, though he too felt the mudbloods and half-breeds should be disposed of, Malfoy never knew what to expect when it came to his master. Any meeting could mean certain death or torture. Malfoy had seen his fair share of both. Hell, he had _caused_ his fair share of both. Despite this, the voice of the Dark Lord, no matter how weak, was enough to make any man's skin tingle.

Malfoy approached the chair quickly, but cautiously and knelt before it, his head bowed. "My Lord," he spoke softly.

"Everything is in order for tonight, Lucius?"

"Yes, my Lord," Malfoy said, not daring to look up.

"Severus?"

"He will arrive to assist us just after the feast at Hogwarts, my Lord. Dumbledore believes he is merely going to Diagon Alley for the night."

"Dumbledore is not ignorant, Lucius. But he is too trusting for his own good," the Dark Lord hissed coldly.

"Yes, my Lord," Lucius agreed.

"And the boy?"

"Pettigrew is tending to him, my Lord."

"Tonight is the night, Lucius. Tonight, Lord Voldemort will return to power, and Harry Potter will finally meet his fate."

* * *

Sirius stepped out of the fire just after Remus in the basement kitchen of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.

Shacklebolt and Moody sat at the wooden table just in front of them, waiting for the two younger wizards to dust themselves off.

Sirius watched Remus look around the kitchen in mild interest. "You think this is bad," he said flatly, "wait until you see the rest of the house."

"Any news?" Moody growled.

Sirius shook his head. "We're just supposed to... _wait_," he said bitterly.

Moody nodded.

Sirius and Remus sat at the table and stared at the now empty fireplace grate.

Waiting... If there was one thing Sirius Black hated above all other things, it was waiting. He hated waiting almost as much as he hated that grease ball Snape—and that is saying something. This was probably the worst wait of his entire life. Waiting to find Harry... Waiting to know whether he would ever see his godson alive and well, smiling and laughing again.

The tension in the room was mounting. All four wizards wanted—needed—to do something... anything. No Auror enjoyed the feeling of helplessness in this sort of situation. And though Remus wasn't an Auror, Sirius was sure he wasn't enjoying it much either.

"Why would You-Know-Who take a six-year-old," Kingsley asked, breaking the silence.

"Cause he's a sick, twisted son of a bitch," Sirius muttered angrily.

"Dumbledore seems to think that You-Know-Who needs Potter to get his powers back," Moody growled quietly.

"_How,_ though?" Kingsley asked. "How is that even possible?"

"There are ways," Remus said quietly. The other three looked at him curiously. "I don't know much about them, but it is possible for Voldemort to return to full body and power. There's one I read about a few years ago that requires the bone of the father, flesh of the servant, and blood of the enemy."

"And that can resurrect him?" Sirius asked.

Remus nodded. "There are others, but that's the one that really stuck out in my mind."

"While we're waiting for Dumbledore, maybe we should look the others up. That way we can know what we're possibly dealing with," Kingsley said.

"You'll probably find everything you need in my father's study. Just be careful; some of those books bite... Literally," Sirius said.

Remus raised an eyebrow. Sirius stood and led Remus up the kitchen stairs and through the dark dusty hallways.

Remus spotted the moth eaten curtain, and he thought he saw something move behind it.

"I'm sure you'll be meeting my dear mother at some point. But if I were you, I would postpone that moment as long as possible," Sirius whispered ahead of him.

Up the stairs they went, passing closed doors, past the house-elves' heads on the walls.

"So where's your old room?" Remus asked quietly.

"Back there." Sirius pointed over Remus' shoulder. "There's really nothing interesting in there. My great-great grandfather's portrait is in there, or so Dumbledore says, but I haven't been in there in years. Here we are, the Black family library."

Sirius opened the double doors and allowed Remus to enter first. Upon an initial look, the library didn't look much different than the Hogwarts library. On further inspection, Remus realized this assumption was only partially correct; the Black's library looked exactly like the Restricted Section of the Hogwarts library.

Remus wandered cautiously around for a few minutes, examining the books, trying to find something about resurrecting the most evil wizard in history. He turned around and spotted Sirius leaning against the door frame, his arms crossed, and his face set.

"You okay?" Remus asked quietly.

"No," Sirius replied. "You?"

"No," Remus admitted.

"We shouldn't be here, Remus. We need to be out there, finding Harry. God only knows where he is..."

"I feel the same, but we have to be patient. Dumbledore knows what he's doing, even if we don't like it. And even if we _did_ know where Harry is, do you really think it wise to just burst in there? Who knows how many Death Eaters are waiting for us to do just that. All we can do now is prepare for when we do go, and it won't be long. Soon, we will have Harry back and we can go back to living our lives. It'll be okay, Sirius," Remus said.

Sirius did not reply. Instead he nodded and left the library so that Remus could do his research. As he opened a book about Dark Magic, Remus could only hope there was no firewhiskey in the house...

* * *

Harry awoke once more, but didn't dare open his eyes. Maybe if he thought really hard, he could get back to Sirius and Remus.

His leg and back hurt badly, he was hungry and cold, and he wanted his family. But that man said that Sirius wasn't coming for him. Harry didn't want to believe him, but he couldn't help but wonder why Sirius was just letting him sit there, hurting.

Maybe Harry had done something bad. Maybe Sirius and Remus didn't want a freak like him around anymore. These thoughts made Harry cry harder, though he made no sound. He struggled against his rope bonds, but they didn't budge. He tried to scream out, but the only sound in the room was that of insects scuttling around between the walls.

What was going to happen to him?

Harry looked over to the boarded up window across from him. The light looked like the sun would go down soon.

How long would he be here?

He had thought about escaping, trying to get away from this place, but even if he could get out of the ropes, his leg wouldn't allow it.

Still crying, Harry pushed himself with his good leg back to the wall. He would just have to wait for someone to come for him. Harry hoped they would come soon.


	25. Twenty Five

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Five_

Remus sped through volume after volume in the Blacks' library trying to find something—_anything—_about resurrecting a wizard to full power and body. So for, he hadn't had any luck, though he was frighteningly surprised to find all the different types of books he had discovered. Many were about potions and deadly curses that hadn't been used since the Middle Ages, and a few showed grotesque photos of spells and such gone terribly wrong. Sirius had always told his friends what his family was like, how evil they were, but Remus had thought he'd been exaggerating most of the time. Not anymore.

With a heavy sigh, Remus closed yet another heavy book, and stacked it on top of the other six he had already gone through. He ran a hand through his slightly graying hair, and looked around the room once more.

Remus jumped significantly when he heard a crash below him followed by the shrill, hateful yells of a woman. Startled and concerned, Remus fled the library and headed down the stairs to the main floor. There, he found Sirius and Kingsley tugging hard on the moth-eaten curtain he had seen before. Remus recognized the woman in the portrait instantly; he had seen her a few times during school when she picked Sirius or Regulus up from the train. Remus thought she looked terrifying then, and she wasn't much better now.

With a final forceful pull, Kingsley and Sirius finally managed to cover Mrs. Black's portrait, silencing her. Sirius turned around to face Remus, panting. "Remus, you remember my mother," he said dryly, walking back to the kitchen.

Remus exchanged a look with Kingsley; Kingsley shrugged, and followed Sirius' path.

Down in the kitchen, the source of the crash seemed to be dinner plates that had been knocked out of their cupboard. "Kreacher decided he wanted my mother to be aware there were people here," Sirius said. He walked into the pantry and began rummaging around.

"Find anything?" Moody asked Remus, cleaning up the remaining mess of glass with a wave of his wand.

Remus sighed and sat down at the table. "Nothing yet. I wish I could remember where I read about it," he said wearily.

Sirius exited the pantry a moment later with a bottle that looked suspiciously like Ogden's Firewhiskey. Remus shook his head, by didn't say anything; Sirius needed to deal with things in his own way, and nobody, not even Remus, could convince him to do any different. Sirius reached into a cupboard, pulled out four dusty glasses, cleaned them with his wand, and brought the lot to the table. The other three watched silently as he filled three of the glasses halfway, and the fourth to the brim. Sirius pushed the half-full glasses to Remus, Kingsley, and Moody, before picking up his own.

Before he could take a sip, Remus spoke. "You're sure this is firewhiskey, Sirius, and not cleaning product?"

Sirius sniffed his drink, and took a large gulp. After a moment, he set his glass down. "Nope, it's firewhiskey," he said, sounding slightly disappointed.

Remus raised an eyebrow at Sirius' tone, but brought the glass to his lips. Normally, he wasn't one to drink heavily, but he, like Sirius, sometimes needed his nerves to be calmed a bit. Kingsley began drinking his as well, but Moody ignored the glass before him, preferring to drink from his hip flask.

Silently, the four men drank, wondering what the coming night would bring. Remus looked at his watch: 5:45, it said. The students would arrive at Hogwarts in approximately two hours. The feast and sorting usually lasted an hour and a half, and depending on whether or not Snape was coming to headquarters first, they would be on the way to find Harry after that.

"How are you going to track Snape's location?" Remus asked Moody and Kingsley, trying to break the tense silence.

"It's a charm, undetectable. Once we place it on him, a map will appear, kind of like a Muggle hologram, and we can follow him anywhere," Kingsley explained.

Remus nodded, watching Sirius down his second glass of liquor. "So we just wait for him to appear on the map and Apparate to that location?"

"Not exactly. We can't Apparate to the exact point Snape does; there might be security charms in place," the Auror said. "So we'll Apparate a good two miles away, and have to hike our way to wherever we're supposed to go."

"But if there are security charms in place, wouldn't they be able to detect us once we cross them?"

"Not if we use strong undetectable spells. We can make ourselves invisible to wards and charms, allowing us to get through easily. It's saved our lives many times, I can tell you."

Remus nodded.

"But chances are, if Pettigrew is running the game like he seems to be, there won't be very strong charms on the place. Black says he was hopeless at that kind of stuff."

Remus snorted humorlessly into his glass. "That's an understatement. The only reason he ever got through half his classes was by copying off of us."

"Well, let's just hope he hasn't gotten much smarter over the years," Moody said.

"Sirius, maybe you should lighten up on the whiskey," Remus suggested quietly.

Sirius merely ignored his friend's concern and proceeded to pour a third glass.

Remus shook his head hopelessly and stood. "I'm going back upstairs, see if I can find anything," he said.

Moody and Kingsley nodded their acknowledgement, and Remus headed back up the steep staircase, hoping with everything he had that this night would have the happy ending they all wanted.

* * *

Wormtail paced outside the room in which Harry was being kept. He couldn't get over how much the boy looked like James, but with Lily's eyes. He had always been mesmerized by those emerald green orbs. He kept having to tell himself to forget his old friends, but their faces kept popping up in his mind: Lily's caring face, trying to explain a complicated potions assignment to him at school; the way James' eyes lit up with mischief when he came up with a particularly good prank.

Wormtail nearly felt bad for Harry; it was obvious the force of that spell had broken his leg. But again, he had to stop himself from caring. Caring is what nearly got him caught the last time.

His master's plan was in place. In just a few short hours, the Dark Lord would return, greater and more terrible than ever. And he, Wormtail, would be rewarded beyond his wildest dreams. He alone helped his master gain strength, and he had finally managed to bring his master Harry Potter; the one thing he wanted above all others.

Wormtail had waited in the Forbidden Forest for hours, trying to figure out how he was going to get into the castle, find where Harry and Sirius were staying, get Harry, and get back out without being caught by Dumbledore or one of the professors... or worse, by Sirius.

Malfoy had left Hogwarts after a meeting with the Headmaster, and come to inform the Dark Lord of Black and Harry's location. Of course, Wormtail was the one to be sent; for one, he could disguise himself easily, and two, Malfoy would raise suspicion if he was on the grounds again.

The plan hadn't been going to well at first; Wormtail was beginning to lose his nerve. But just after midnight, Harry had wandered out freely, all by himself.

Wormtail had watched him walk just a few feet shy of his hiding spot. The moment he reached down to the ground for something, Wormtail left the trees and grabbed him. His master had told him about the Apparition spot deep in the forest, and he was able to get away quickly.

All in all, today had been an extremely long day for Wormtail. He leaned against the wall, and slid slowly to the floor; a few minutes of shut eye couldn't hurt, could it?

Wormtail had only closed his eyes for two minutes when he heard a familiar hissing and slithering of his master's snake, Nagini. More than once, Wormtail swore the snake was looking at him as if he was about to become her next meal. And more than once, Wormtail had gone in the opposite direction from which the snake was coming.

He stood up quickly, not wanting to make himself an easy target for the serpent. As the snake turned a corner to where Wormtail was, the Animagus quickly ducked into the room he had been guarding all afternoon, and slammed the door shut. Waiting to hear the snake slither past, Wormtail shivered; he didn't like snakes very much, and never had.

Wormtail turned around in the dark room, and squinted to see the small boy that was trapped there. He lit his wand and walked to Harry's unconscious form. The boy's left leg was in what looked like a very uncomfortable, painful position. Wormtail didn't dare to move it; he didn't need Harry to wake right now, even if there was a silencing charm on him.

If Harry would have been just six years older, the position he was lying in would have made him look exactly like James after he was knocked off his broomstick during a Quidditch match in second year. His leg had been broken in the same place, and if Harry's arms and legs were not bound together, Wormtail was sure he would have had them spread out just like James had that day.

Wormtail shook himself again. Who cared about James? Who cared about Harry?

_You did_, a distant voice said in his head.

"Not anymore," Wormtail whispered. He turned his back on his former friend's son, and left the room just as quickly as he'd entered.

* * *

Sirius drained the last of the firewhiskey from its bottle and stared around hopelessly. Moody and Kingsley had gone upstairs to see how Remus was fairing with research. And Kreacher... Sirius couldn't really give a shit if Kreacher had drowned himself somewhere—one less useless being for Sirius to deal with.

His mind was stuck with his godson. The past two months have been a rollercoaster of emotions for Sirius, and he couldn't begin to imagine how Harry was feeling. Sirius buried his head in his hands. Why couldn't life just be normal for once? Why couldn't they be happy and stay happy?

Sirius stood abruptly, knocking his chair to the floor. He paced around the kitchen he had never wanted to see again.

Ten years ago, Sirius had fled this house and his family. He had gone to the only place he knew he would be accepted: James'. His parents had happily agreed to allow the sixteen-year-old runaway a place to stay for as long as needed.

James had done so much for Sirius during the length of their friendship. He had been there for Sirius when Sirius had needed him most. And what had Sirius done for the man he considered a brother? Sirius had pretty much set him and his wife up for death, allowed their only son to live with the only two people in this entire world that Lily and James had made everyone promise he would not go to—no matter what—and five years later, allowed his best friend's son to be taken by Death Eaters and Voldemort.

Yes, Sirius had failed. He failed at being a best friend. He failed at being a brother. And worst of all, he had failed at being a godfather. The most important thing Lily and James had given him was Harry. Now, Harry was gone, and the chances of getting him back alive and well were not very high at this point.

Crying was no longer an option for Sirius—he was way beyond that. Worry, grief, anger, sadness, helplessness—he had been through it all in a little over ten hours. A whole bottle of firewhiskey wasn't enough to help Sirius right now.

"Sirius," said a quiet voice from the foot of the stairs.

Sirius spun around, finding the floor to be strangely lopsided. Remus stood there, concern written all over his pale face. Sirius sighed and leaned against the kitchen counter.

* * *

Remus took a few steps closer to his friend, examining him. Sirius' eyes were bloodshot from the whiskey he had absorbed in such a small expanse of time, and he seemed to be a bit unsteady on his feet. Remus sighed and withdrew his wand from his pocket.

"You're going to need a sobering charm before Dumbledore gets here," he said.

Sirius nodded, avoiding Remus' eyes. "Not yet, though," he said hoarsely.

Remus hesitated, but placed his wand back into his pocket. He walked to the table, picked up the overturned chair, and sat. Remus pulled the empty firewhiskey bottle towards him, and waved it at Sirius. "When was the last time you did this?" he asked.

"The night James told me Voldemort was after them and that they had to go into hiding," Sirius replied quietly, looking anywhere but at Remus.

Remus nodded silently, and sat the bottle back on the table.

After a few moments of silence, Sirius spoke, "What time is it?"

Remus looked at his watch. "Nine o'clock," he said. "Dumbledore should be here soon."

"I thought he said there were other Aurors and Order members coming?"

Remus opened his mouth to reply, when the doorbell sounded upstairs. Consequently, the noise set off Sirius' mother once again.

Sirius winced at the noise. "I'll take that charm now," he said, massaging his temples. Remus stood, retrieved his wand once more, and muttered the charm. Moments later, Sirius shook his head.

"Much better, thanks," he muttered before heading up the stairs.

"Anytime," Remus said, following Sirius.

Kingsley had silenced Mrs. Black by the time they reached the entrance way. Moody answered the door, his wand drawn, and his magical eye spinning.

Remus looked at who was at the threshold and raised his eyebrows. If this was who Dumbledore had recruited to help save Harry, then Remus was sure things had just gotten worse.

"Dung?" Sirius whispered, just as surprised as Remus. "You've got to be kidding me," he muttered. Sirius turned around and walked back to the kitchen.

"'Ello, gents," Dung said cheerfully, walking into the house. "How's things?"

Remus shook his head, wondering where Dumbledore's sanity had gone.

Moody smacked Dung in the back of his head, "Shut up, and get downstairs," he growled.

Dung raised his eyebrows and followed Moody and Kingsley to the kitchen. "What's his problem?" he grumbled to Remus as he passed.

Following the other three wizards downstairs, Remus hoped, for the thousandth time that day, that this was all a nightmare, and any minute now he would wake up in his basement. Sirius glared at Dung as he sat across from him with a large smile on his dirty face. Dung's smile faded the longer Sirius stared.

The others quietly sat around the table, once again waiting. Any minute now, Dumbledore would arrive, and their mission could begin.

"We have everything, Shacklebolt?" Moody asked.

Kingsley nodded. "Yeah, just waiting for Snape now."

"Snape?" Dung asked loudly.

The other four silenced him with a look.

Soft footsteps sounded above them, causing all five wizards to look up. A moment later, they could hear the muttering of Kreacher.

"Kreacher wonders who is in his Mistress' kitchen. Kreacher hear his Mistress' screams from the attic." The muttering grew louder as Kreacher made his way down the kitchen stairs. "Kreacher knows his Mistress' blood traitor son and his werewolf friend are here, but Kreacher wonders why."

Sirius jumped from his chair, causing the other to start as well. "I am not dealing with this shit tonight," he muttered angrily.

The others watched in slight amusement and curiosity as Sirius walked halfway up the kitchen stairs, grabbed Kreacher by his neck, and dragged the elf back upstairs. There was silence for a few minutes until Moody chuckled. Remus noticed his magical eye spinning at the ceiling.

"What did he do?" Remus asked anxiously.

"Threw him in the bathroom upstairs, put a locking charm on the door," Moody replied.

Remus nodded.

"Who's a werewolf?" Dung asked stupidly.

Remus rolled his eyes, and no one answered the question. A few more minutes passed before Sirius finally reentered the kitchen. He sat heavily next to Remus and looked at the others' questioning looks.

Sirius shrugged. "Sorry 'bout that. I've been wanting to do that since I was ten."

Remus went to comment when the fireplace filled with green flames. Everyone's head snapped collectively in that direction as a black form spun fast and finally stopped. Sirius groaned softly as Snape stepped from the fireplace, dusting his robes of the soot.

The Potions Master made no notice of the other wizards, but looked around the dark kitchen, sneering.

"Better step away from the fire, Snivelly," Sirius said conversationally. "That hair of yours is a fire hazard. Wouldn't want the kitchen to be set ablaze."

"Sirius," Remus warned.

"Nice house, Black. It'll do quite nicely for a murderer, werewolf, and spawn of an attempted murderer," Snape replied nastily.

In an instant, Sirius jumped out of his chair, once again knocking it to the floor. He whipped out his wand and stuck it hard into Snape's neck.

"Sirius!" Remus yelled, standing up.

"Take that back, you bastard," Sirius growled.

The fireplace once again filled with green flames, and a moment later, Dumbledore stepped out. He looked curiously at Snape and Sirius. Sirius lowered his wand and walked back to the table.

Remus shook his head and sighed as Sirius picked up his chair and sat.

Dumbledore made no comment on the scene he had just witnessed. He looked at each of the men in the room, no twinkle visible in his eyes. "Before Severus leaves," he began, "I would quickly like to go over our plan. Kingsley will place the tracking charm on Severus. Once he Apparates out of this kitchen, we will watch the map hologram, find out where we are going, and Apparate no less than two miles away. While we walk, we will make further plans. Alastor, are we ready?" Dumbledore said, looking at the Auror.

"Yes," Moody replied.

Kingsley stood, retrieved his wand, and walked to Snape. The rest of the wizards merely watched as Kingsley muttered a lengthy, complicated incantation. Once he had finished, Snape began to glow an eye-piercing white. It only lasted seconds, and the room became dark once more. In the middle of the kitchen table, a large hologram appeared.

It was a three-dimensional map of the world. A lone red dot soared around the globe for about ten seconds before stopping on England. A second later, the map narrowed down the location to London, then a picture of Number Twelve appeared, showing the basement kitchen and the seven wizards looking at the map.

Remus and Sirius exchanged an impressed look.

Dumbledore spoke once more. "As you can see, this map is quite detailed. It will show any location in the world Severus will be likely to arrive at. For security reasons, Lucius Malfoy has told Severus to meet him at a different spot than I believe Harry to be. Together, they will travel to their final destination. We will not leave until both them have been at their destination for ten minutes. Malfoy is not a stupid man—" The others huffed in disagreement. "—and he will be looking for somebody to follow Severus." Dumbledore glanced at the golden pocket watch only he could decipher. "It is time." He turned to Snape and shook the younger man's hand. "Good luck, Severus."

"Thank you, Headmaster," he said softly. With a sigh, Snape Apparated from their sight.

Remus stared at the spot Snape had disappeared from for a moment. _He may be a bastard_, he thought, _but he's a brave bastard._

The others turned their heads to the map and watched the red dot fly across the earth. Moments later, the dot stopped somewhere in Spain. The picture enhanced, and finally they could see Snape looking around a wooded area. Malfoy stepped out from behind a tree and walked to Snape. The two briefly shook hands and exchanged words. A slip of paper passed from Malfoy to Snape. Snape read it, lit it on fire with his wand, and nodded. Malfoy nodded back, looked around, and Apparated away in a silent _pop_. Snape did the same a second later.

The hologram began to spin once more, the red dot moving almost too quickly for the wizards to track. It stopped on England again... Little Hangleton, a little bubble above the dot told them. Malfoy and Snape appeared once more, walking out of a forest, across a yard, and through a large wooden door.

Dumbledore looked away from the map, and attracted the attention of the others. "This is our destination. As I have said, we will Apparate two miles away. This will be just on the border of the village."

"Sir, do you know anything about this place?" Remus asked curiously.

"The village is a Muggle village. The house is known by the villagers as the Riddle House. It was the home of Voldemort's father, before his son murdered him and his family," Dumbledore answered.

Remus nodded as Sirius muttered, "Lovely."

"While we are waiting, we must place undetectable charms upon ourselves," Dumbledore said, taking out his own wand.

The others stood and followed their leader's example.

"Wouldn't hurt to do disillusionment charms, either," Moody growled.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, good idea, Alastor."

Within their ten minutes, the six wizards cast undetectable charms on themselves, and assisted each other with disillusionment charms.

With a look around the kitchen, Dumbledore spoke quietly. "It's time. I will see you all there. Good luck."

With a _pop_, Dumbledore was gone. Five more _pop_s later, the kitchen of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black was empty.

They were finally going to rescue Harry.


	26. Twenty Six

_**Truths **_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Six_

Sirius arrived on a dark dirt road on the border of Little Hangleton. He looked around and heard Remus and the others arrive with a _pop_ next to him.

"Padfoot?" Remus whispered.

"Right here," Sirius whispered, reaching around for his friend.

Being disillusioned had its advantages, but Sirius was thrown off by not being able to see his friends in the darkness.

"Are we all here?" they heard Dumbledore ask. Five yes's were sounded and their leader continued,] "Let's move. The sooner we arrive, the better."

Finally, something Sirius could agree with.

They began to walk, careful to stay on the sides of the roads, away from lights and the eyes of Muggles peeking out their windows.

"Sirius," Remus said quietly from Sirius' right.

"Yeah?"

Sirius heard Remus hesitate. "I know when we get in there you're going to run off and find Harry," he said carefully. "But it would be safer for all of us—especially Harry—if we wait to see what we're up against."

Sirius remained silent.

Remus knew him too well. Of course he was forming his own plan to run into that house, wand drawn, to save Harry. How could he not? And he knew Remus wanted to do the exact same thing, but Remus Lupin was the logical one, the safe one. He formed all the smart plans for pranks, one that would not get them caught. True, this was different from some prank on the Slytherins at Hogwarts—much different—but the roles remained the same: Remus was the calm, logical work-things-out-first thinker, while Sirius was still the same irrational get-into-action-now Auror.

"Sirius," Remus repeated, a little louder.

"I heard you," Sirius replied flatly.

"It _will_ be okay," Remus said for the thousandth time that day.

"How do you _know_, though?" Sirius asked, his thoughts of the day pouring out of his mouth before he could stop them. "How do you know that when we get in there we're not going to find Harry dead at the hands of Wormtail or some other Death Eater?"

It was the first time either of them had voiced their worst fears of the situation. Remus obviously didn't have a reply. Sirius felt his friend's arm reach out for him and settle itself on his shoulder in comfort. Sirius returned the gesture, and the two walked like that in silence for long minutes.

* * *

Wormtail stepped quickly down the stairs when he heard the front door open and close. His wand was held in his shaking left hand, since his right couldn't support it correctly with only four fingers. He walked cautiously into the hallway and breathed a half-sigh of relief at the sight of Lucius and Severus.

"Pettigrew," Lucius said coldly and quietly.

"L-Lucius," Wormtail stuttered. "O-our master has been awaiting your arrival."

Wormtail watched silently as Lucius stalked past him without another word. Severus shot him a calculating look and followed. Wormtail gulped and looked around the room once more. He slowly walked into the drawing room where Lucius and Severus stood next to the Dark Lord's chair.

"Wormtail..." hissed their master.

"Y-yes, my Lord?" Wormtail said, going quickly to Lucius' side.

"All of the preparations have been made?"

"Y-yes, my Lord, we are just awaiting your instructions."

"Very good," the Dark Lord hissed in that high cruel voice. "Severus, you will find all the ingredients needed for a potion in the room across from this one. Wormtail has so very kindly written down the directions." The Dark Lord paused expectantly, waiting for Wormtail to act. When he didn't, the Dark Lord hissed louder, "Wormtail, _now_!"

Wormtail jumped and fumbled around in his cloak for a moment. He looked up and saw his fellow Death Eaters roll their eyes. Finally, he located the piece of parchment and handed it to Severus with a trembling hand. Severus ripped the parchment from his grasp and examined it carefully. Wormtail thought he noticed a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"You can do that, Severus?" the Dark Lord asked.

"Yes, my Lord, of course. It should not take more than forty minutes," Severus replied quietly.

"And you are sure you were not followed?" the high voice asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I am sure. Dumbledore believes me to be running errands for upcoming lessons."

"Good. Wormtail, show Severus to the preparation room; I want this completed soon."

After Wormtail stuttered his obedience, he and Severus bowed to their master and left the room, closing the door behind them. They crossed the hallway, Wormtail leading the way, and reached a closed wooden door. Wormtail opened it and held it for Severus to enter.

"Y-you should find all you need in h-here," Wormtail said.

Snape nodded once to show he heard, but otherwise remained silent.

With another gulp, Wormtail watched Severus gather his ingredients and a cauldron, and left him to work. It would happen soon—forty minutes, Severus had said. But now that Wormtail thought about it, perhaps this wasn't the best idea after all. The Dark Lord back and all powerful was quite a nasty thing—even Wormtail knew that.

But Wormtail also knew it was either have the Dark Lord back, and for him, Wormtail, to reap in the rewards of assisting his master in his rise, or go back into hiding as a rat and wait for Sirius Black to find him. Wormtail shuddered slightly at the thought of facing Sirius again. If he hadn't kept his head that day he had framed Sirius, Wormtail would have been a dead man. In all the years of knowing Sirius, Wormtail had never seen the man look like that...

Wormtail looked around the dark house again. He didn't dare go back into the drawing room; his master was most likely giving instructions to Lucius. For the first time in his life, Wormtail wondered what his worthless life would have become if he had not turned to the dark side after his Hogwarts graduation. The Dark Lord would still be in power, he was sure. James and Lily would probably still be alive. Sirius and Remus would still be his friends. Times would have been dark, but the Marauders would have still been together...

For a fleeting second—it passed as quickly as it came—Wormtail felt the urge to go up those stairs, grab Harry, and go to Hogwarts. Perhaps Dumbledore would spare him.

"Pettigrew," called Lucius' cold, drawling voice.

With another sigh, Wormtail forgot all about his ideas and went to his master.

* * *

"Why did Dumbledore bring Dung?" Sirius asked suddenly, breaking the tense silence.

"Probably because he's good at scoping a place out, finding all the exits, figuring out who's there. Dung's pretty handy when he wants to be," Remus replied quietly.

"Yeah."

Remus looked around his surroundings. They had been walking for a good thirty minutes—they should be arriving at the Riddle house soon.

He sighed, wondering again how Harry was holding up. Yes, he had thought about the possibility of Harry being found dead when they got in there, and his heart clenched painfully every time.

Remus had many thoughts about the future with Sirius and Harry, thoughts of Harry going off to Hogwarts, getting into mischief. Remus would, of course, have to be the disciplinarian; Sirius would be too busy urging Harry into more trouble. Having Harry come to them with girl problems would be an interesting thing. If Harry was to be anything at all like his father, the girls would be lining up for him.

Around another bend they walked. Remus looked ahead of them and spotted what had to be their destination. It looked as though it had once been a beautiful home, very well cared for. Now, however, the Riddle House looked dilapidated and abandoned. Boards covered every window, a few of which looked to be broken. Thick green vines climbed the sides of the house, making it seem as though it was covered in snakes. The yard was in surprisingly good shape. Weeds had sprouted here and there, but for the most part, it appeared that somebody had tended to it on a regular basis.

They approached the old rusted steel gate and gathered around Dumbledore's voice, awaiting instructions. Remus gazed into the boarded windows, trying to see through them, wondering if Harry was in fact inside or if this whole thing was in vain.

His question was answered when Dumbledore asked Moody to look into the house with his magical eye. "Two in the drawing room—looks like Malfoy and Pettigrew," Moody said quickly. Sirius growled softly and clenched his fists. "There's—_something_—in an armchair... Looks like the ugliest baby I've ever seen..." His eye traveled slowly across the house. "Snape's alone in a room, working on a potion it seems..."

"A potion?" Remus questioned sharply. "What could he be making a potion for?"

"Quite possibly to resurrect Voldemort," Dumbledore said gravely.

Everyone, Sirius and Remus included, shuddered at the implications.

"And Harry?" Sirius said to Moody.

Moody's eye traveled up through the house slowly, taking everything in. Finally it stopped. Moody squinted a bit for a better look. "He's there, upstairs, last bedroom on the left."

"Is he okay?" Remus asked tensely.

"Alive. Looks like his leg is broken. He's unconscious."

Sirius and Remus breathed a sigh of relief. Harry was alive—one hurdle cleared, only a million left to jump.

Dumbledore got everyone's attention again. "Now we will have to work in stealth. Even though there only seems to be the two Death Eaters, they could be waiting for an ambush. We are going to split into pairs. Kingsley, you and Sirius will hide out in the hallway, closest to the door. We do not know who else will be arriving, who else Malfoy has contacted. Alastor and Mundungus, the two of you are to search the house and grounds for any hiding Death Eaters. Be sure to check the shack in the backyard. Remus, you will stay with me," he said quickly.

Sirius wanted to argue before he received a sharp elbow in his ribs from Remus. There was a reason Dumbledore did things. What those reasons were weren't always obvious, but they were there nonetheless.

"Quickly and quietly. Do not act unless I send word, no matter what you may see or hear. Is that clear?" Dumbledore asked.

Though Sirius couldn't see him, he knew Dumbledore was looking at him over his half-moon spectacles with a stern look on his old face.

"Yes, sir," Sirius muttered. The others agreed after Sirius.

"Let's go in, then."

Swiftly, the group made its way across the cobblestone walkway and to the front door. Dumbledore muttered a quick silencing charm on the door in case it would give away their arrival. He soundlessly opened the door and they entered. Once they were all inside the entrance way, somebody, probably Dumbledore, closed the door behind them. Common sense told them not to light their wands, so they all waited a moment or two for their eyes to adjust to the complete darkness.

The house had a strong moldy smell to it and a smell that nearly made Remus gag. Cautiously, he sniffed the air around him. It was full of something quite unpleasant that he had never smelled before. He could faintly smell Wormtail, but the other stench was quite intense.

Silently, the group broke apart. Moody and Dung headed up the staircase while Kingsley and Sirius stood guard at the door—albeit unwillingly on Sirius' part. A light touch on his arm told Remus to follow close to Dumbledore. Hesitantly, Remus did so. He only hoped Kingsley would be up to keeping Sirius in check.

Remus and Dumbledore crossed silently to a closed door—the room Moody indicated Snape to be in. For a moment, it seemed as though Dumbledore would enter, but the door remained closed and Remus continued to follow Dumbledore's nearly silent footsteps.

Remus spotted Dumbledore's outline stop just before what had to be the drawing room. A soft flicker of light was dancing on the door from the fireplace. They could hear quiet voices, one high-pitched and cold; the other, low and drawling. The second voice had to be Malfoy, but Remus could not, for the life of him, discern the other.

With a quiet "stay here" that Remus wouldn't have heard had it not been for his sensitive hearing, Dumbledore's outline vanished. Remus was sure he had made himself invisible. The werewolf leaned against the wall, listening with all his might to the voices behind him.

"Wormtail," said the high voice. "Check Severus' progress. Lucius, retrieve the boy."

Remus' eyes widened and his breathing picked up. He heard a dual "Yes, Master" from Malfoy and Wormtail, and retreated further into the shadows, not wanting to be found out. Watching the backs of Malfoy and Wormtail, Remus wanted nothing more than to stun them both, but Dumbledore had told them not to act prematurely. It was times like these that Remus cursed Dumbledore for his patience.

* * *

Harry stared around the dark room. Something was coming, something bad, he knew it. He tried to call out, but found his voice still didn't work. He carefully stretched his rope-bound arms down and touched his leg. It hurt terribly, and he wished someone would come to help him soon.

He thought again of Sirius and Remus, and wondered if they would ever come for him. That man said they wouldn't... He wanted Sirius to hug him and tell him he was safe, that everything was okay. He wanted Remus to ruffle his hair and smile reassuringly at him. He wanted to be back in his warm comfortable bed with Prongs. He wanted to be back in his room surrounded by his Quidditch posters and toys. He wanted to fly... He wanted to go home... Period.

Without warning, the door burst open. Harry jumped back and hit his head hard on the wall behind him. For a moment, Harry thought that the short man was back. But this time it was a different man. He was tall, about as tall as Sirius, but of what Harry could see, this man definitely wasn't his godfather. He had long blond hair, and from just standing in the doorway, he made Harry shiver.

The man spotted Harry and crossed the small room in three long strides. He reached down and grasped the rope that bound Harry's arms. Harry began to struggle away from the man as he was dragged across the cold floor. The man stopped, bent down to Harry's level, and slapped the boy hard across the face. Harry couldn't struggle anymore as he was dragged through the door, into the hallway.

If he thought the pain in his leg could get no worse, Harry was sorely mistaken. The man pulled him down the wooden staircase, making his leg scream in unbearable pain. Harry cried harder than he ever had, but couldn't still make a sound. As the pain grew worse, consciousness slipped from Harry once again.

* * *

Sirius stood silently in the entranceway's shadows watching Wormtail and Malfoy pass just before them. If he acted now, it would all be over. Who cared about what Dumbledore said? This was about Harry. Just as he reached for his wand, he felt Kingsley's hand on his wrist in warning. Very reluctantly, Sirius relaxed his arm. Kingsley still kept a strong hold on his arm for long minutes after.

Malfoy and Wormtail disappeared. Where they were going was a mystery to Sirius. After a long wait, his question was answered as a door opened and Snape exited carrying a cauldron, helped along by Wormtail. They turned a corner and disappeared again.

Another few minutes...

A sickening thud could be heard above them. Both Aurors looked over to the staircase in question. Malfoy was coming down, dragging something. The thud grew louder and was revealed seconds later to be Harry's limp, unconscious body.

Sirius watched with wide eyes as Malfoy pulled Harry carelessly down the final step, through the hallway as though he were a measly sack of potatoes.

"You son of a bitch," Sirius growled. Kingsley was forced to hold Sirius by the waist until Malfoy went around the same corner as Wormtail and Snape. Once they had gone, Sirius turned to face his partner. "How could you just let them go like that?" he whispered furiously.

"Shut up, Black, or you're going to get us found out," Kingsley whispered just as furiously.

How could not care about what he had just seen?

It was six against two—seven if you counted Snape, which Sirius didn't—and they all stood around stupidly, waiting for what?

Harry was hurt badly. Sirius saw his left leg at a very nasty angle. How could anyone just stand back and watch that? Before this was over, Sirius would have Malfoy in much worse shape.

* * *

Remus watched helplessly as Harry was dragged by Lucius Malfoy into the drawing room. He closed his eyes tightly, clenched his fists until he could feel his fingernails digging into his palm painfully, and took a number of deep ragged breaths.

They could not act yet... but when would they? There was no doubt in Remus' mind that Harry was in a great deal of pain.

Remus pushed himself against the wall trying to keep himself steady. It killed him not to act, it really did. He wondered how Sirius had reacted. Remus wouldn't be surprised to see Kingsley with a black eye and broken nose by the time this was over.

A soft _thud_ sounded in the drawing room. _Harry..._ Remus though desperately.

Voices sounded once more.

"It is complete, Severus?" hissed the high pitched voice.

"Yes, my Lord," Snape said softly.

_My Lord...? That's Voldemort!_ Remus thought, his stomach clenching. How had he not realized it before?

"Good work, Severus," Voldemort said. "Wormtail, place the boy before me."

Scuttling of feet... dragging of something (_Harry_) across the floor.

"My, my, Wormtail," Voldemort said with a hint of amusement in his voice. "What has happened to him?"

"He-he tried to escape, m-my Lord," Wormtail stuttered quietly. "I-I silenced him as well."

Malfoy made a sound of amusement and surprise.

"Good work, Wormtail," Voldemort hissed.

Remus' breathing was coming in short, heavy bursts.

"It is now time to call upon my other followers. Wormtail, give me your arm..."

A second passed. Wormtail howled in pain...

Remus listened in mounting confusion and dread until the sound of a dozen _pops_ could be heard, signaling to that they were now scarily out numbered.


	27. Twenty Seven

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Seven_

Sirius' anger faded momentarily as the sound of numerous Apparition _pop_s floated through the old house.

"What the hell was that?" Kingsley asked quietly, staring down the hall.

"Sounds like we've got company..." Sirius said quietly.

They cautiously looked around the corner and spotted at least twelve shadows that had not been there before. Not long after, Sirius felt a strong arm grip his own and lead him up the staircase. They entered a room and found Moody and Dung had un-disillusioned themselves.

Sirius felt a wand tap his head sharply as he reappeared to the others. He looked around as Moody did the same to Remus.

The two friends looked at one another and immediately realized they were both very pale.

"Did you see him?" Sirius asked Remus quietly, ignoring the others.

Remus nodded, but couldn't bring himself to speak.

Dumbledore reappeared and looked around gravely at the other wizards. "We will need back up," he said quietly.

"Already done," Moody replied gruffly. "Should have Aurors here soon."

"Why did we wait?" Sirius demanded.

Dumbledore, for the first time in a long time did not have an answer. Sirius shook his head and looked around the small, dark room. Dung was peering out one of the boarded windows, watching for the Aurors.

"I'm not waiting anymore. Harry's down there. We can take those Death Eaters—_you_ can take those Death Eaters," Sirius said, pointing at Dumbledore slightly accusingly. "They won't know what hit them."

He turned and headed for the door. Something caught his eye. He bent down and picked up a pair of broken round-rimmed glasses. He turned around and showed them to the others. "Is anybody coming?" he said, looking directly at Remus. His friend stared at the pair of glasses in his hand. With a glance at Dumbledore, Remus nodded and followed Sirius from the room. Moments later, they were joined by Moody, Dung, and Kingsley.

Quietly, they crept down the staircase.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Remus whispered.

"Apparated outside. He's waiting for the Aurors," Dung whispered.

Sirius bit back his frustration at the headmaster, continued to the drawing room, and listened.

"...to witness my rebirth. Since none of you came to my aid while I wasted away, I want you to see what I have become—what you have _allowed_ me to become. Do you see what this boy has done to me? Yes..." Voldemort said softly. "Harry Potter has joined us as well. Soon, my Death Eaters, I shall be back to full strength, and Lord Voldemort will rule once more. My first order of business, to send young Mr. Potter here back to his mudblood mother."

Sirius looked at the others and nodded. One by one, they nodded back. All at once, the five wizards burst through the doors and started shouting spells and curses. The Death Eaters cried out in surprise, and fumbling, drew their wands.

"_STUPEFY!_" cried one of them.

Sirius noticed immediately that all their faces were covered in white masks. He ducked down just in time to avoid the jet of red light that had been sent towards him.

It was five against fourteen, and the Death Eaters' surprise didn't last long. Soon, there was a full-fledged battle occurring in the large room. Jets of light flew like bullets. At least twice already, Sirius had heard the words _Avada Kedavra_, but when he looked around he was relieved to see the curse had missed its targets.

Sirius was in two minds during the fight. The first was keeping the Death Eaters at bay, and the second—the most important—was finding Harry and getting him out of there.

"Sirius! Look out!" Remus cried from the other side of the room.

Sirius turned away from the Death Eater he was currently battling with and moved out of the way before a jet of green light hit him. The curse hit a wall, making it explode, and knocked over the cauldron of potion Snape had made earlier. The potion burned a hole into the floor.

"_EXPELLIARMUS!_" Sirius roared. The Death Eater's wand flew from his hand and he hit a wall, unconscious.

Ducking through the battling wizards and assisting the others as he went, Sirius made his way to Remus.

"Do you see him?" Sirius yelled over his shoulder, his back to Remus' as they fought off Death Eaters.

"No! He was by the fireplace!" Remus replied just as he was hit with a cutting hex, creating a large gash on his cheek.

"_IMPEDIMENTA!_" Sirius yelled. His Death Eater flew ten feet back and hit a wall—he, too, was unconscious.

A scream cut through the air, and Sirius whipped his head around just in time to see Dung getting hit with a jet of eerie green light. He didn't hear the killing curse being cried, but Sirius didn't like the way Dung hit the ground.

"_STUPEFY!_" he yelled, pointing his wand at the Death Eater who'd cursed Dung.

He ran across the room, deflecting curses as he went, and knelt beside Dung. He reached out two fingers and placed them to Dung's scruffy neck. He felt a pulse, faintly, but it was there.

"_DIFFINDO!_" a voice behind him yelled.

Sirius spun around quickly and shouted "_PROTEGO!_" just in time. The curse was deflected and the Death Eater was cursed from behind by Kingsley.

For a few seconds, Sirius allowed himself to look around. Remus was dueling with two Death Eaters at once, and seemed to be doing all right. Moody was battling one that looked like it could be Malfoy. Two others were creeping up behind the old Auror. Moody saw them with his magical eye and sent curses flying in three directions, one right after the other. Kingsley was fighting fiercely with two others.

"_STUPEFY!_"

Sirius rolled out of the line of fire, and shouted every curse and hex that came to his mind. _Where are the bloody Aurors?_ he wondered.

There were a few things missing from the battle, Sirius thought as he fought hard. Harry was definitely not there, to begin with, and neither was Wormtail. And unless he was strongly mistaken, Sirius was sure Voldemort had been there before, as well.

The battle was becoming fierce. It seemed as if it had been going on for hours, though it had only been minutes. Things were happening fast, just the way Sirius liked it.

With a final cry of "_Stupefy!_" another Death Eater was down.

It was now seven to four. (Sirius figured Snape had ducked out early to meet Dumbledore.) The odds were a bit better, but still not good enough.

Sirius jumped in to help Kingsley when another Death Eater joined the pair he had already been fighting. He was still looking around for any sign of Harry, though he was sure his godson was gone again. Sirius fought harder with every minute that went on. The longer this continued the less chance Harry had to stay alive.

A jet of light grazed Sirius' shoulder, causing it to bleed freely. With a wave of mounting fury, Sirius shouted more curses, each worst than the last. He could never bring himself to utter the Unforgivables, not even when it was legalized for Auror use in the first war. If he ever did use any of them, he would save it for a certain rat.

A shout of immense pain reached Sirius' ears over the other noises. Sirius glanced up quickly and saw Remus fall to the ground hard. What hit him, Sirius didn't know.

"REMUS!" Sirius yelled. He finally stunned another Death Eater, but was unable to get to Remus; two more came from nowhere and joined the fight.

_Are they multiplying?_ Sirius wondered.

Looking around out of the corners of his eyes, Sirius realized the stunned Death Eaters had been revived by their fellows and rejoined the battle. The odds were lessening, time was running out. Remus and Harry needed him...

At that exact moment, the drawing room doors, which had somehow been closed, were blown off their hinges, revealing Dumbledore in front of a large group of Aurors.

Someone, a Death Eater, grabbed Sirius around the neck with a very tight grasp, cutting off his air supply slightly. Sirius, red in the face and gasping for air, tried to pry the fingers from his throat when a voice hissed softly in his ear, "You will find them in the graveyard." The grip disappeared and when Sirius turned around, the Death Eater was gone in the mess of Aurors and other Death Eaters.

Sirius didn't stick around long after that. Unless he was very much mistaken, Snape had just told him where Harry and Wormtail had gone. He allowed the Aurors and Dumbledore to take over, and fled the house, looking wildly around for the graveyard. There, upon a hill to his right... Sirius sprinted his way up the hill, but realized he could get there quicker if...

The large black dog appeared where Sirius had once been, and ran the further distance up the hill. It was much easier on four legs rather than two.

At the top of the hill, Sirius transformed again. He looked around frantically for any sign of his godson. A piercing scream broke through the air to Sirius' right, but it wasn't Harry's voice. Sirius turned and ran the remaining distance. What he saw nearly made his knees buckle from beneath him.

Harry tied to a tombstone... Wormtail with his hand covered in blood... And a very large cauldron.

There was a loud hissing coming directly at Sirius. Without thinking, he shouted "_STUPEFY!_" and ran straight past the snake he had stunned.

"WORMTAIL!" Sirius roared into the night.

Wormtail's head looked away from the cauldron shakily. But instead of looking terrified like Sirius thought he would, Wormtail grinned. It was the same grin Sirius had seen the day he was framed.

"You're too late, Sirius," Wormtail rasped, clutching his arm painfully.

Sirius focused his eyes on the cauldron, now emitting white sparks. The night sky was flooded in thick white smoke, and Sirius couldn't see a foot in front of him.

Hoping he knew what the hell he was doing, Sirius pointed his wand in the direction the cauldron had been in and shouted with everything he had, "_REDUCTO!_"

It seemed to take an eternity. Sirius thought he had missed, but finally, he heard a deafening blast as the cauldron exploded into a million pieces. Scalding hot liquid and shards of the broken cauldron hit Sirius causing burns and cuts, but he didn't care. He waited a moment for the now black smoke to clear before running forward.

Coughing, Sirius yelled, "HARRY!"

There was no answer from his godson. Fearing the very worst from the explosion (Harry had been much closer than he), Sirius' legs gave way and he began crawling through the wreckage.

"HARRY!" he called again.

He heard coughing and whimpering, but knew it wasn't Harry. Sirius crawled towards the noises and appeared before Wormtail.

"You bastard," he growled, hitting Wormtail in the face with all his might.

Wormtail hadn't noticed his appearance before Sirius' fist connected to the left side of his head. He turned around, wheezing. "S-Sirius," he gasped, his good hand going to his face while the other bled. His eyes had gone wide with obvious fear.

"You bastard," Sirius repeated.

"N-no, Sirius! P-please! I-I was forced!" Wormtail stuttered before Sirius' fist hit him again.

"Save it for someone who cares," Sirius growled. "_STUPEFY!"_

Sirius turned from Wormtail's stunned body and searched for Harry. Just in front of him was where Harry had been tied. From his neck down to his waist, he was bound tightly to the tombstone; his head was hanging limply on his chest. His face was covered with cuts and scratches and he had a nasty burn on the side of his face—probably from the cauldron. Sirius looked down at Harry's arm where a large cut bled just above his elbow.

Sirius moved to the back of the tombstone and quickly muttered a severing spell, cutting the rope and freeing Harry. Harry's limp body began to fall to the side, but Sirius' quick reflexes caught him before he hit the ground.

"Harry," Sirius muttered, pulling his precious godson carefully into his lap. He couldn't feel a pulse, but his hands were shaking too badly to feel much of anything properly. He reached for the wand at his side, pointed it at Harry's chest, and muttered, "_Ennervate_."

Sirius felt as if new life had entered his body as Harry took in a deep shuddering breath and began coughing silently. He slowly looked around and realized he wasn't where he was before. He finally spotted Sirius, and his eyes widened.

"Hey, kid," Sirius whispered with a watery smile.

Harry tried to say something, but no words came out until Sirius un-silenced him.

"Sirius," Harry gasped hoarsely, burying his head into his godfather's robes.

Sirius hugged him close, but Harry cried out in pain, placing a hand to his ribs. _Probably broken,_ Sirius thought with a mixture of sadness and anger.

"It's all right, Harry. It's okay, you're safe now." Sirius rubbed boy's back comfortingly. "We're going to get you fixed up soon," he whispered.

"Sorry," Harry breathed into Sirius.

Sirius pulled Harry from his chest with a frown. "What are you sorry about, Harry? You have nothing to be sorry about."

"For going outside for Prongs," Harry muttered, not looking at Sirius.

Sirius chuckled slightly. "Don't worry about that, okay? You just try and rest. I'm going to get us out of here." Harry barely nodded before burying his head back into Sirius. The two of them stayed next to Tom Riddle's grave for a long time. Sirius couldn't explain how it felt being able to hold Harry again. It had only been a day, but it was the longest day Sirius had experienced in his life.

"They're here!" yelled a voice in the distance.

Sirius tensed and looked up, wand firmly in one hand ready to curse whoever came over that hill, his other holding Harry close to him. He relaxed when he saw it was a fellow Auror.

"Black, you okay?" the Auror asked, jogging to him and Harry.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," Sirius replied, watching the Auror look around the nearly ruined graveyard.

Sirius looked around for the first time as well. Small fires had broken out from the larger one that the cauldron had been over. A large black scorch mark appeared where Sirius had blown the cauldron to bits. There was blood all over the grass from Wormtail's arm.

"Sirius!" Dumbledore crossed the graveyard, taking everything in. "Is he okay?" he asked, kneeling before Sirius and Harry.

"Yeah, he's okay. Scratches and cuts, maybe a few broken ribs, and his leg," Sirius answered, looking down at Harry. He seemed to have fallen asleep. "Where's Remus?"

Dumbledore sighed. Sirius' eyes widened in horror. "He's not..." he trailed off quietly.

"No, no, he's alive. But he's been badly injured. He, along with Mundungus, and a few other Aurors have been sent to St. Mungo's for treatment," Dumbledore said.

Sirius sighed and nodded.

"What happened, Sirius?"

Sirius opened his mouth before an Auror's voice called out, "Take him away!"

He looked up and saw two Aurors approaching Wormtail. "No! No, wait!" he yelled. Everyone looked at him questioningly. "He's mine. I'm taking him in. Leave him there."

The Aurors looked to Moody who had just arrived.

"You heard him," the Head Auror growled.

The two wizards dropped Wormtail back on the ground carelessly and continued examining the scene.

"Perhaps we should get Harry to the hospital as well, hmm?" Dumbledore said quietly. "We can talk later."

Sirius nodded. "Will you take him? I've got to go back to Azkaban..."

"Of course," Dumbledore said, taking Harry from Sirius' arms gently.

"I'll be there soon, kiddo," Sirius said, kissing Harry's forehead before Dumbledore and Harry disappeared with a _pop._

"Need some help, Black?" Moody asked, helping Sirius stand.

"No," Sirius replied, glancing at Wormtail's stunned form. "No, I'm doing this on my own."

Moody nodded. "I'll send Shacklebolt to meet you once he's been checked over."

Sirius nodded and walked to Wormtail. Someone had stopped his arm from bleeding with a quick healing spell, and now Sirius realized Wormtail's entire right hand was gone.

"He cut it off with this," said an Auror.

Sirius turned and examined the dagger in the other wizard's hand before nodding. "_Ennervate_," Sirius muttered, his wand pointed at Wormtail's chest.

Wormtail stirred, looked around him, and caught Sirius' furious eyes. Before Wormtail could even comprehend what was happening, Sirius placed and anti-transformation charm on the other Animagus. "Don't even think about escaping from me this time," he said, surprised at his own calmness.

Wormtail gulped, but remained silent. Sirius bent down, pulled Wormtail up by the front of his robes and stood back up, pointing his wand at his former friend's chest.

"Peter Pettigrew, you are hereby under arrest by power of the Ministry of Magic. You will be immediately taken to a cell in Azkaban where you will be held until trial. But if I were you, I wouldn't be hoping for a trail; don't be surprised if you get the Dementor's Kiss tonight, you son of a bitch," Sirius added.

Wormtail whimpered again. Sirius bound the traitor's arms and Apparated them both to the seacoast where they would take a boat to the dreaded prison.

Just for his own satisfaction, Sirius kicked Wormtail hard in the back of his leg, causing him to yelp and fall over.

"Get up, rat," Sirius growled, throwing Wormtail into the small wooden boat.

Soon, it would all be over. Harry was safe under Dumbledore's watch, and Wormtail was finally going where he belonged. Sirius would have, of course, preferred putting a full body bind on Wormtail and throwing him into the cold sea, but that would cause a lot of paperwork. And Sirius Black hated paperwork...


	28. Twenty Eight

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Eight_

It was three days after the fierce battle in Little Hangleton. The wizarding world hadn't woken to a bigger shock in their lives the morning after. The _Daily Prophet_ was full of articles about Death Eaters who had been captured, among them Avery, MacNair, and Nott. Unfortunately, the rest had Disapparated before authorities could bring them in.

Apparently, according to the _Prophet_, the whole thing centered around the Boy-Who-Lived. Though details were quite sketchy, one fact was for certain: Harry Potter, the savior of their world, was kidnapped by Peter Pettigrew. Sirius Black, famed ex-prisoner of Azkaban, led a small team to rescue him. Some were injured, but there were no casualties.

That is, unless you listened to Rita Skeeter's version of events in which three Aurors died tragically to save the little boy from the clutches of Sirius Black. Black, according to Skeeter, was actually a Death Eater and "fooled us all in his valiant attempts to raise young Harry Potter." Not one single person believed her, however, and Sirius Black remained a hero in all eyes.

Black, unfortunately for reporters, had been unavailable for comment since the battle—not that he would have spoken to them anyway. He hadn't left the fourth floor of St. Mungo's Hospital since his arrival late on the afternoon after the events. Many thought him to be injured, but this was not the case; Black's injuries were quite minor and had been fixed with a single wave of a Healer's wand.

Sirius Black was in the hospital for a completely different reason. What was that reason you might ask? To sit with his best friend (or in Sirius' own words, "brother"), Remus Lupin, during his own recovery.

Remus hadn't woken once since he had been hit by an unknown curse during the battle. Healers claimed to have never seen a curse like it, and could not begin to heal him until he woke and was able to tell them what exactly had happened.

Sirius sat in a squashy armchair he had transfigured from another uncomfortable wooden one that had been in the room originally. He was seated between two large hospital beds. The one to his right contained Remus, pale as a sheet, but thankfully, breathing steadily. The large gash he had suffered on his cheek had been healed, and was now just a tiny, faint scar that that would heal fully in a few days.

To Sirius' left was his godson. Harry's bones had been mended expertly. His leg was still quite sore and stiff, and he had some bruises, but all in all, the Healers were pleased with his recovery. The silencing charm that had been placed on him during his capture had done something to his voice, and Harry had trouble talking, but the Healers assured Sirius that it would clear up on its own. The deep cut just above the crook of Harry's elbow had been healed as well, and there was now no evidence it had ever been there.

The hospital door opened and a medi-witch entered balancing two trays of food with her wand. Sirius watched tiredly as she deposited the food on two conjured tables and placed one next to Harry's bed, the other just in front of Sirius. "Make sure Harry eats all of his when he wakes; he's going to need all the strength he can get," the woman whispered.

Sirius nodded in acknowledgement.

"Thought you could use something to eat, too. Haven't seen you leave this room once in two days," she said in an accusing tone that reminded Sirius of Madam Pomfrey.

"Thank you," Sirius said quietly with a small smile.

Harry hadn't been sleeping well since they brought him back; nightmares plagued him endlessly. But once they got some Dreamless Sleep Potion in him a few hours ago, he had finally dropped off to sleep, and Sirius didn't want to disturb him anytime soon.

Sirius pulled the table before him closer and slowly began to eat. The Healer's aid did a few tests on Remus, testing his heartbeat and a number of other medical things that Sirius couldn't begin to understand.

"How is he?" Sirius asked, swallowing a sip of juice.

"He'll be fine once he wakes and can tell us what happened," she said confidently. "But if you want to know my personal opinion, he's just using this as an excuse to get a bit of shut eye," she added jokingly.

Sirius chuckled. "You know, I wouldn't put it past him."

The witch finished her tests, winked at Sirius reassuringly, and left the room, closing the door quietly. Sirius finished his meal—which he had to admit wasn't too horrible by hospital standards—and began working on the _Daily Prophet_ crossword. _Seven letter word for blood thirsty creature. _Sirius thought for a moment, scratching his chin with the end of his quill, and finally smirked to himself.

_S-E-V-E-R-U-S._

The hatred between Sirius and Snape hadn't changed one little bit after the battle. Yes, Snape had told Sirius where to find Harry, and while Sirius was grateful, it still didn't change the fact that Snape was a greasy-haired git too wrapped up in the Dark Arts and Potions for anyone's good. Some things would never change, no matter what, and Sirius would have it no other way.

The Auror looked around at Harry's bed at the sound of rustling sheets. Harry turned a bit, snored once, and continued to sleep. Sirius watched him thoughtfully for a moment, and went back to his puzzle.

Another hour passed. Sirius had finished his crossword and leaned back in his chair, letting the footrest out to get more comfortable, ready for a few hours of sleep himself. Just as he closed his eyes, a groan from his right made his eyes snap open and stand up.

"Remus?" he whispered, leaning closer to his friend.

* * *

Remus moved around in the bed to get more comfortable. Finally, he opened his eyes a bit and spotted Sirius' smiling face too close to his own.

"Morning, sunshine," Sirius said happily.

Remus groaned again. "Yeah, you are _not _who I want to open my eyes to, Padfoot," he said hoarsely.

Sirius chuckled and sat back down. "I could call Madam Rosmerta if you prefer."

"Shut up, Sirius," Remus muttered, turning a bit red. He looked around confused for a moment. "Where are we?"

"St. Mungo's," Sirius said, his joking tone fading a bit. "You've been out for three days. I was starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up."

"Sorry, mate, but you're not getting rid of me that easily." Remus began coughing. Sirius got up and retrieved a glass and a jar of ice cold water, and helped Remus drink it. "Thanks," Remus said, wiping his chin of the bit of water that'd dripped from his mouth. "Where's Harry?"

Sirius sat back down and leaned back revealing Harry curled up on his side, clutching his stuffed stag.

"Is he all right?"

"Yeah, he's fine. He had a broken arm, obviously. The Healers conjured a picture of the bones. It was broken in at least six places. Bloody Malfoy dragging him down those stairs made it worse than it would have been," Sirius said angrily. "His leg was nasty, too, Remus. Once I got a good look at it, the bone was sticking out. Took the Healers nearly two hours to set it right. He had a few broken ribs, slight concussion, scratches, bruises, and a nice sized cut on his arm, but he'll be fine. What I'm worried about is the nightmares he's been having," he finished.

Remus watched Harry for a bit and looked back at Sirius. "What happened after I was knocked out?"

Sirius grinned humorlessly. "Well, the Aurors finally showed up. I got a, er, _tip_ that Wormtail took Harry out to the local graveyard, so I headed out there once Dumbledore had a hold of things. Wormtail had set up a cauldron, biggest one I've ever seen. I think he performed that blood, flesh, and bone thing you were telling us about. But it's okay," Sirius added as Remus looked on the verge of panicking. "I blew the cauldron up with a Reductor curse before anything could be completed. Wormtail was a bleeding mess—literally—when I found him. Cut off his own hand. And if my memory serves me right—which it usually does—it was the same dagger he used when he cut off his finger."

Remus shook his head, but was relieved with Sirius' strange fixation of the Reductor curse. "Was anyone else hurt?"

Sirius sighed. "Not too badly. Kingsley and Moody got out with nothing but a few scratches. Some Aurors had to be brought in, and Dung woke up a few hours after they brought him in. But he kept complaining of pain, so they kept him here till yesterday. I think he just wanted to take of advantage of the free food and room."

Remus chuckled a little. "What about Wormtail?"

Sirius scowled. "Azkaban," he said. "I took him myself, but I would have highly preferred just have killed him on the spot, after a bit of torturing first, of course. But that's where he is until next week. They're holding a trial for him for some damned reason to figure out what to do with him. They want both of us to testify. They wanted Harry, too, but I—er—_politely_—asked them to leave him out of it."

Remus grinned. "You told them to sod off, didn't you?"

"Something like that, yeah."

"And the Death Eaters?" Remus asked, his grin fading at the look on Sirius' face.

"Most of them got away before anyone could do an Anti-Apparition jinx. Malfoy included," he said bitterly. "And we don't have any proof on any of them because they were all masked. But Malfoy took off. His wife and kid have been on vacation in Italy, so we'll question them when they get back. They've got everyone on the case. And there's a full page in the _Prophet_ about him. I saved you the papers from the past few days, in case you want to read any of it. Skeeter's got a nice little article about my loyalty that I want framed and put on my wall."

"Lovely," Remus said, referring to Malfoy's escape. "And Voldemort?"

Sirius opened his mouth to reply, but a tired voice cut him off. "Remus?" Harry said, sitting up.

Remus smiled broadly, leaning up to see Harry better. "Hey, Harry, how are you feeling?"

Harry climbed from his bed to Sirius' lap to better talk to Remus. "Good," he answered once he was settled.

"Good," Remus repeated, ruffling Harry's hair slightly.

Harry smiled and looked up to Sirius. "When can we go home?"

"Just as soon as the Healer's figure out what happened to Remus. Speaking of which, did you happen to hear what you were hit with?" Sirius added to Remus.

Remus frowned in thought. "It was some sort of electrocution spell, I think…"

Sirius nodded. "Get some rest. It's nearly midnight. I'm going to go get a Healer so they can fix you and we can get the hell out of here soon. I hate hospitals."

Remus chuckled while Sirius stood, placed Harry back into the armchair, and left the room. Remus looked at Harry. His surrogate godson's current expression was one of anxiousness and slight fear.

Remus frowned. "What's wrong Harry?" he asked gently.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

"Sorry? What have you got to be sorry for?" Remus asked, perplexed.

"If I didn't go outside on the full moon for Prongs, you wouldn't be in here," Harry mumbled, looking into his lap.

Remus sighed; he had been expecting something like this. "Harry, look at me," he said quietly. Harry's wet green eyes met his own. "One thing I have learned over the course of my life is to expect the unexpected. And this certainly was unexpected. There was no way you could have known what would have happened if you went outside. And while you shouldn't have gone in the first place, it wasn't your fault. None of this is your fault. The only ones we can blame are Voldemort and Wormtail." Remus left out what he was really thinking: If Voldemort really wanted Harry, he would not have rested until he achieved his goal. He would have found some way to get into the castle, and would have perhaps taken Harry right from under Sirius' and Dumbledore's noses, then killed the other two wizards just for good measure. "All that matters now," Remus continued, "is that we found you and that you're safe."

Harry sniffed. "That man said you weren't coming for me," he said sadly.

"What man?" Remus asked, already knowing the answer.

"The fat, bald one."

Remus gritted his teeth. _I wonder if Sirius knew that before he handed Wormtail to the dementors... Probably not, or Wormtail wouldn't be alive to _have_ a bloody trial. _"Harry, the moment we realized what had happened, we were planning the best way to find you. It took a while, and I couldn't be any sorrier about anything in my life, but we did find you..."

Harry only nodded.

Sirius returned a few moments later, accompanied by two Healers and Albus Dumbledore. Remus wondered vaguely if Sirius had forgiven the headmaster for his hesitancy back at the Riddle house to save Harry... He doubted it very much.

The Healers listened to Remus' version of events, asked him what was bothering him, and waved their wands around, healing anything that could have been damaged by the curses he had been hit with. Finally, they proclaimed Remus fit enough to leave in the morning with the reservation of much rest. Once they had left, Dumbledore approached Remus' bed.

"Er, I'm going to take Harry upstairs; they've got some coloring books up there," Sirius said, taking Harry's hand, leading him to the door.

Remus nodded in slight confusion, but figured Dumbledore wanted to speak with him without Harry present. After Sirius and Harry left the room, Dumbledore sat in Sirius' chair and smiled at Remus. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Not too bad, sir. A little sore, but not bad," Remus replied.

"Good, good," the Headmaster said. They sat in silence for a moment before Dumbledore's expression grew grave. "I am sure you are curious as to what happened to Voldemort." It was more of a statement than anything.

Remus nodded. "Among other things, yes," he said honestly.

"Sirius told you he caused the cauldron containing the remains of Voldemort to explode, did he not?" Remus nodded. "While it was a genius thought and action, it did not have the result I think Sirius, and the rest of us, sorely desired. Voldemort was not destroyed in the blast. Somehow, while Sirius waited for the smoke to clear so he could find Harry, Voldemort fled. How, I do not know. I believe it was the same way he was able to escape the night he murdered Lily and James."

Remus sighed heavily, leaning back into his pillow. "So he can still come back?" he asked.

"Yes. And he will. Of that, I have no doubt. It is now only a question of when and how," Dumbledore replied, looking tired.

Remus nodded. "But how could that explosion not have killed him?" His question was met with silence. It was as if Dumbledore wanted Remus to come to the conclusion on his own. And after a minute of thinking, it did. Remus remembered the day Dumbledore spoke to him of the prophecy pertaining to Harry and Voldemort. _"...And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..."_ The only way Voldemort could be destroyed completely and forever was for Harry to destroy him... There was no way around it... If anybody else had been in that cauldron, they would have died a painful, brutal death, but Lord Voldemort was not just anybody... Deciding to come back to that issue a bit later, Remus asked the question he was sure Sirius had asked the minute he was alone with Dumbledore. "Why did you hesitate at the Riddle House?"

Dumbledore's blue eyes met Remus' and the two wizards stayed that way for a long minute. "There are reasons behind that even I do not understand, let alone am I able to explain. I know this is not the answer you wish to hear; Sirius was none too happy either. But I assure you, Remus, I could not have known what was to happen."

Remus reluctantly nodded. He trusted Dumbledore with everything he had—it had been that way since Remus had first met the man when he was ten, going on eleven. He was far from satisfied with the old wizard's answer, but there was not much he could do about it. There was finality in his tone that told Remus to drop it for the time being.

"Now, I must unfortunately return to the school. I just thought I would sneak out and see how you were coming along." Dumbledore smiled. "I will see you next week at the trial. Take care of yourself, Remus."

"Thank you, sir. See you next week," Remus said quietly, contemplating things over in his mind as Dumbledore left the room.

Dumbledore's answers were vague at best. He hadn't really answered any questions about why he hesitated, in Remus' opinion. But there were reasons for everything Dumbledore had ever done in his life. And being the greatest wizard of their time, he could not always be expected to explain things to the world.

_Some things are better left unsaid, anyway, _Remus thought.

Sirius and Harry came back some time later. Both were weighed down with armfuls of snacks and sweets bought in the hospital gift shop.

"Thought you could use some sugar," Sirius said, sucking on a licorice wand.

Remus chuckled. Harry climbed up on his bed and sat next to Remus while Sirius dumped the contents of his arms on the table containing his empty plate. Harry's meal lay forgotten as the three talked and joked as if the past few days had never happened at all.

* * *

A week later, Sirius and Remus walked together in their best robes to the lowest level in the Ministry of Magic building. Today was the day of Wormtail's trial, and Sirius and Remus would be lying if they said they weren't more than a little anxious to finally see some justice being done.

In the lift, Sirius hit the level one button and they listened to the female voice call out the different floors as they ascended. A few witches and wizards stepped in and out of the lift, some exchanging casual conversation with Sirius.

"So, Black, the Pettigrew trial... 'Bout time, eh?" said one old wizard.

"You have no idea," Sirius replied, exchanging a meaningful look with Remus.

The lift cleared after a few floors, leaving Sirius and Remus alone in silence. Neither wizard could think of how to explain their thoughts to the other.

On the one hand, the man responsible for five years of grief on all parts was about to get what he deserved. Wormtail had ruined friendships and lives over the years, and had only been discovered to be at the center of it all a few months ago. The one who had deceived them for years... the spy... the murderer... the traitor...

But on the other hand, Sirius and Remus had both (yes, both) found themselves thinking back to their time in school. The pranks, the fun, the laughs, the full moon adventures. Wormtail had been decent then, not bright, not popular, but he had been what they all thought to be a good—loyal—friend. They were wrong, obviously, and whenever they thought these things, they remembered Lily and James and Harry.

"Department of Mysteries..." the voice in the lift said, snapping Sirius and Remus out of their thoughts. The lift grilles slid open and the two friends stepped out.

"What courtroom is it?" Remus asked.

"Ten," Sirius replied, leading the way down the corridors.

They turned a few corners and spotted a large group standing just in front of courtroom ten.

"There's Dumbledore," Remus pointed out unnecessarily; Sirius could spot that silver hair from a mile away.

He was standing with Kingsley, Moody, the Minister of Magic, Amelia Bones, and to Sirius' slight surprise, Arthur Weasley. They had left Harry with Molly for the afternoon, but she had seemed frazzled about something the twins had done and hadn't had the time to talk.

"Good morning, boys," Dumbledore greeted them as they walked closer.

Sirius snorted to himself. He had a feeling that no matter how many years passed, no matter how old he and Remus grew, Dumbledore would still call them "boys." He heard Remus chuckle quietly at the same thought.

"Good morning, sir," Sirius said. "Good morning, Minister Bones," he added, shaking hands with the Minister.

"Good morning, Black. Are you ready?" Bones asked, smiling at the two younger men.

"I've been ready for years, ma'am," Sirius stated.

Bones nodded. "Good. Well, Albus, perhaps we should get inside; they're about to begin, I think."

Dumbledore held the door open. "After you, Amelia."

Moody turned to Sirius and Remus just after Dumbledore and Bones went into the courtroom. "You two'll go in with us. Normally, they don't allow testifying witnesses to watch, but Dumbledore talked them into it. Thought you'd want to see it," he said.

"Good of him to think of us," Sirius muttered, entering the room after Moody and the others.

They quickly made their way up the stone benches. Sirius and Remus sat on the end. The others were next to them. To Sirius' disgust, Rita Skeeter had situated herself just two benches below them. She kept glancing back hopefully to Sirius, obviously wanting an interview, but didn't have the chance when Minister Bones called for silence.

"Good afternoon," Bones said to the room. "You are here today to witness the trial of Peter Bartholomew Pettigrew. The charges will be read once the accused has entered the courtroom. Witnesses will be called forth, one by one, to give testimony for or against the accused."

"Does she really think someone's here _for_ that bastard?" Sirius asked Remus.

Remus shook his head. "No, it's required they say that. So someone can't come back and say he didn't get a fair, unbiased trial."

"At least he _gets _a trial. I don't know why they're bothering..." Sirius muttered.

Remus silently agreed.

"Bring in the accused!" Bones called.

Sirius tensed as two dementors led Wormtail into the courtroom. Whether it was from the dementors' presence that caused this reaction or Wormtail, Remus didn't know. Most likely a mixture of both. The dementors glided along the floor, and sat Wormtail forcefully into the metal chair in the center. The chains around the arms and legs glowed golden and fastened themselves tightly around Wormtail.

"Peter Pettigrew, you are charged with being a Death Eater and follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. In addition, you are charged with passing secrets to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named on the whereabouts of Lily and James Potter, the brutal murders of twelve innocent Muggles, and the kidnapping of Harry Potter. Do you deny these charges?" Bones spoke loudly and clearly.

Wormtail had lost weight in the ten days he had spent in Azkaban. He was now a pale and quivering heap. His stump of an arm hung lifelessly in the chains. "He-he forced me! P-please have mercy!"

A few people laughed coldly, but most remained quiet.

"Since you have claimed innocence, we shall call forward the witnesses." Bones looked down at a sheet of parchment before her. "Remus Lupin!" she called.

Remus jumped a bit; he had been watching Wormtail's actions with disgust. Quickly, he stood and made his way to the ground floor. As he passed, he heard the scratching of a quill in Rita Skeeter's direction.

Bones signaled for Remus to sit in a chair next to the Wizengamot's stands.

"Please state your name for the court," Bones said.

Remus cleared his throat. "Remus John Lupin."

"How long have you known the accused, Mr. Lupin?"

"Since we met on the Hogwarts Express, about fifteen years ago," Remus answered.

"And during the time you knew the accused, did you ever believe his loyalty to have wavered to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"No, not once. Until a few months ago, I believed him to be dead," Remus said.

Questions were asked about Wormtail's loyalty and Remus' knowledge of his actions before he was free to go back to his seat.

"R-Remus! P-Please! It's me! It's Wormtail, your friend!" Wormtail gasped as Remus passed his chair.

Remus stopped dead in his tracks, slowly turned around, and looked at Wormtail. "You are not my friend," he said, much calmer than he felt. "I don't know that you ever have been my friend."

Wormtail began to cry and moan louder as Remus silently took his seat next to Sirius, looking anywhere but at the thing he had once considered a friend.

"Sirius Black!"

"Here we go," Sirius muttered, making his way forward. He sat on the chair, facing Wormtail who was now looking at him with watery, pleading eyes.

"State your name for the court, please."

"Sirius Orion Black," Sirius said, glaring at Wormtail. If only looks could kill...

"Mr. Black, could you please tell the court the events leading to Halloween of 1981 through the following day," Bones requested.

Sirius took a deep breath and began retelling the story of how Lily and James had named Wormtail their Secret-Keeper at his request, not knowing what Wormtail was. How, on Halloween night, he, Sirius, had gone to check on Wormtail, but found his hiding place deserted. He explained, in detail, arriving at Godric's Hollow and finding Lily's and James' bodies, finding Harry, and handing his godson over to Hagrid. He told them about how he left for London and found Wormtail. He explained about the explosion that killed the twelve Muggles, how Wormtail cut off his own finger and transformed into the rat, taking refuge in the sewers.

By the end of Sirius' testimony, the only noises in the courtroom were that of Wormtail, who was now whimpering and crying freely. Not one witch or wizard present had any bit of sympathy for him.

Arthur Weasley was called forward and told the court, in great disgust, about the pet rat his son had discovered in their garden. How he mysteriously disappeared just days before the news about Sirius and Wormtail had broken.

A few others spoke as well, including Dumbledore and Moody. Dumbledore spoke of how he knew Wormtail during his school years, and never believed he would be capable of such heinous crimes. Moody spoke just after Dumbledore of the battle between them and the Death Eaters in Little Hangleton.

After many hours of testimony, the Wizengamot called for a recess to discuss Wormtail's fate. They silently made for a small chamber on the side of the courtroom. Once the door had closed, the room burst with chatter.

During the break, which lasted nearly thirty minutes, Rita Skeeter attempted yet another interview with Sirius. "How do you feel about seeing your former best friend in these conditions? Do you think James and Lily Potter would approve of giving Pettigrew the Dementor's Kiss?"

Instead of answering her questions, Sirius explained to dear Rita the best way to ingest her quill, snatched said quill from her hand, and snapped it in half before giving it back to her.

Rita glared at Sirius while Remus sniggered behind his hand, turning it into a cough at the last minute. The reporter finally went back to her seat where she opened her crocodile skin handbag, withdrew another quill, and directed it to zoom across the parchment before her so fast Remus could have sworn he saw smoke.

At long last, the Wizengamot reentered the courtroom. The chatter died as Minister Bones called for silence.

"We have reached a decision," she said to the courtroom. Sirius and Remus sat anxiously on the edge of their seats.

"Peter Pettigrew, you are hereby sentenced to one month in the prison of Azkaban. Once this time has been completed," Bones said over the outraged cries, "You will receive the Dementor's Kiss. The crimes you have committed deserve no less. Take him away."

Bones' last three words may have well not have been spoken at all with the explosion of noise of the witches and wizards cheering the decision. Wormtail's increased cries couldn't even be heard over the noise.

The dementors entered the courtroom once more, released Wormtail from the chair's binds, and dragged him kicking and screaming out the door, back to Azkaban. By the time they were gone, Wormtail's struggles were subdued.

Remus and Sirius didn't join in on the celebrations. Both knew Wormtail had gotten what he so dearly deserved, but all either of them could think of was getting home to Kent and starting quiet, normal lives. They were able to sneak out of the courtroom—Dumbledore kept Skeeter at bay—and headed up to the Atrium where they Apparated to the Burrow to retrieve Harry.


	29. Twenty Nine

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Twenty-Nine_

Remus stood next to the kitchen window watching the sun set over the trees as he had done so many times since his youth. He turned to the clock on the wall behind him. Five fifty-six, it read. With a slight sigh, Remus walked to the stove and finished stirring the heating potion in his black cauldron. As the contents bubbled, he pulled out a glass from the cabinet and ladled some of the potion into it.

"Cheers," he muttered to the empty kitchen before pinching his nose and downing the Wolfsbane Potion in a few gulps.

As he swallowed the last drop, a _pop_ sounded from behind him. He glanced out of the corner of his eye, but didn't turn around. Remus rinsed the glass in the sink and finally turned to find Sirius grinning at him from the kitchen table.

Remus smiled back and sat across from him at the table. "What took so long? Thought you'd gotten lost," he teased.

"Nah, Harry didn't want to let me leave. He's still a little wary about spending the full moon alone," Sirius said with a hint of guilt at leaving his godson alone for the night.

Remus nodded. "Can't say I blame him too much, but this was your idea."

"Yeah, I know. Still, it took Molly and me twenty minutes to get him to let me go. And then it was ten more minutes before he would let me leave. Finally, Fred and George came in and offered to take him flying. I don't think I have ever seen him change moods so quickly." Sirius chuckled.

Remus laughed and looked out the window again.

"Did you take your potion?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, Sirius." Remus rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I'm just looking out for your well-being," Sirius said defensively.

Remus chuckled. "I know. Come on, we should get down there. I don't feel like having to repair all of the upstairs furniture in the morning."

Sirius nodded and stood, crossing the room to place his wand next to Remus' on the kitchen counter. He went to the basement door and held it open for Remus. "After you." He grinned.

Remus rolled his eyes and slapped Sirius in the back of the head, but headed down the basement stairs.

"That hurt, you know," Sirius said, rubbing his head and following Remus down the stairs.

"Get over it," Remus muttered, taking off his robes and placing them neatly on a shelf so they wouldn't get ruined in the coming night. He wrapped a blanket loosely around his waist and sat on the floor.

Sirius reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around. "You know, we really should fix this place up a bit. We could get a nice rug to go for the middle of the floor so you don't have to lie down on concrete. A new light—not this single-bulb-hanging-from-the-ceiling rubbish you've got going on. You'd be surprised what a difference it'd make."

Remus looked up from his spot on the floor. "Sirius," he said.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up." Sirius stuck out his tongue in a very childish way making Remus laugh.

Sirius sat at the foot of the stairs and watched as Remus' breathing increased and he grew paler. A few more minutes passed and Remus tensed visibly. "Now..." he breathed.

Sirius stood, turned to face the wall, and transformed in the large black dog. His ears perked as he listened to Remus' cries of pain, wishing he could help somehow. Even since their first full moon as Animagi, Remus didn't want his friends to watch his transformations. They never understood why, I mean, how bad could it be? That was until one night in seventh year when Sirius and James snuck a quick look; it wasn't a pretty sight, and after that Sirius and James remained turned away until it was over. Neither could bear to see their friend in so much pain.

A low growl replaced the cries after what seemed like hours, and Padfoot turned around. Moony was facing the opposite wall, curled up on the ground and panting hard.

Slowly, Padfoot crossed the basement and nudged the back of Moony's head. The werewolf turned his head painfully and stared into the dog's eyes. Padfoot barked quietly and backed away from Moony. If werewolves could roll their eyes, Moony would have done so. He shakily stood on all fours crossing to the other canine. Padfoot barked louder and smacked Moony playfully with a paw.

As a response, Moony barked as well and snapped lightly at the paw. Padfoot made a sound that resembled a chuckle and launched himself at the werewolf.

The two animals wrestled around for a bit—Moony was careful not to bite or scratch his friend. By the time they had finished, both were panting for breath, both long tongues hanging from their mouths. Padfoot went to the corner of the basement and began drinking from a large bowl of water that had been placed there earlier in the day. Moony sat on the basement floor and looked out the small window, light from the full moon flooding in and warming him in a way he hadn't felt in years.

Just four months ago, he had looked out this very same window, waiting for his friends to join him. That was when he had spotted Wormtail. After that, his life had changed forever. If you would have told Moony, or his human counterpart, before the moon had risen that night that he would soon have one of his best friends back with him, he probably would have bitten you.

Moony smiled in a way only a werewolf could manage. Things had turned out all right after all.

There was a soft _thud_ next to Moony as Padfoot sat next to him. Moony glanced over and watched his friend gaze out the window as well, probably thinking the same things he had been.

Padfoot began to howl a deep, mournful tune. Moony followed his example. It was a sad moment for the both of them as they remembered the one who would never return to them. The majestic stag who would stand in the shadows and watch the two canines wrestle and play, and roll his eyes when they had finally finished before leading them proudly through the tunnel and out on Hogwarts grounds.

The two friends finished their song and laid down silently onto the ground, sleep followed quickly.

* * *

Sirius sat silently next to Remus, watching his friend's heavy ragged breathing after his transformation. He had covered Remus with a warm blanket and waited patiently for him to wake.

Slowly, Remus opened his eyes.

"Morning," Sirius said quietly, no smile evident on his face.

"Morning," Remus groaned. He sat up with Sirius' help and pulled the blankets further up his body.

"Happy Halloween," Sirius said dryly, not looking at Remus.

Remus looked at his friend's sad face and returned the sentiment. "Happy Halloween," he whispered.

The two sat in their own thoughts for a moment before Sirius stood and crossed the basement. He picked up a pair of boxer shorts and a clean pair of jeans that he had gone to get for Remus just after he transformed at moonset.

"Thanks," Remus said, taking the clothes from Sirius. He pulled them on and accepted the hand Sirius had stuck out, getting off the cold ground.

The pair silently went up the basement stairs and into the kitchen.

"What time are we going to get Harry?" Remus asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Ten," Sirius replied tonelessly, pulling out things to make breakfast.

Remus nodded and studied his friend for a moment. He seemed to have been a bit withdrawn that day and the reason why was more than obvious: It was the first Halloween Sirius had truly experienced since the one five years ago, the one that changed everyone's lives for the worst.

Remus allowed Sirius to make breakfast in peace while he took a quick shower. Once he had finished and dressed, Remus went back to the kitchen and started on a much needed meal. Sirius was barely eating anything, preferring to push his eggs across the plate with his fork, but Remus didn't question him on it.

"Are you sure we should take him?" Sirius asked, staring into his pumpkin juice.

Remus finished chewing his toast before answering. "Yes, I do. He's old enough to understand, he's never been there, and I think he wants to see them," he answered quietly.

Sirius nodded before standing and emptying his full breakfast into the trash can. "Well, we'd better go. It's almost ten," he said in a voice would have considered casual if they had not known the wizard for most of their life.

Remus quickly finished his breakfast and placed his plate in the sink. "See you there," he said, picking up his wand and Apparating to the Burrow.

Sirius remained in the empty kitchen deep in thought. Finally, he nodded resolutely, picked up his own wand, and followed Remus.

When he arrived at the front door of the Weasley home, Molly had just answered.

"Good morning, Molly," Remus said.

"Good morning, boys," Molly said with a tired smile. "Come on in. Harry's just in the living room with Ron and the others."

Sirius and Remus followed Molly into the house. Harry was playing a junior version of wizard's chess with Ron. One of Ron's pieces had just knocked Harry's queen in half and the redhead threw his hands up in the air triumphantly.

"I win!" he shouted.

Harry stared bewildered at the chess board. "You cheated!" he declared.

"Did not!" Ron replied.

"You did, too!"

Remus, Sirius, and Molly watched, amused, as the two six-year-olds argued.

"Seem familiar, Padfoot?" Remus grinned.

Sirius laughed, drawing Harry's attention away from Ron. "Too familiar," he grunted as Harry threw himself at his godfather.

"Did you have fun, Harry?" Remus asked, ruffling the boy's hair.

"Yeah! We flew and played pranks on Percy and played chess," Harry said very quickly.

"I hope he wasn't too much trouble, Molly," Remus said to the redheaded woman.

"Oh, no, not at all," she said with a wave of her hand. "He was an absolute dear."

"I don't think we're talking about the same Harry here..." Sirius snorted playfully, poking Harry in the side.

"Hey!" Harry said, outraged.

"Hey!" Sirius mocked.

Remus smiled at the two. "Okay, children, it's time to go. Say goodbye to the Weasleys, Harry."

"Bye, Weasleys!" Harry called into the living room. The children returned the goodbye and Harry turned in Sirius' arms, now facing Molly. "Bye, Mrs. Weasley. Thanks for letting me stay over."

"Anytime, Harry, dear," she said fondly. "I'll be seeing you boys soon," she added to Sirius and Remus.

The two wizards said their goodbyes and the three of them Apparated back home.

* * *

Sirius, Remus, and Harry walked slowly across the dark green grass in complete silence. All three were wearing their best black robes and their expressions were somber. They crossed through the black steel gates and followed Remus, who was the only one of them to have ever been there. Beautiful tombstones filled the cemetery for those who had fallen during Voldemort's reign. It was an entirely wizarding place, and had become a sad necessity during the later years of the war. They walked across the stone path to the farthest corner of the cemetery, and stopped only when they reached a large granite memorial.

Sirius felt a growing lump in his throat as he read the inscriptions engraved into the stone:

_James Harold Potter --- Lily Marie Potter_

_27 March 1960 --- 30 January 1960 _

_31 October 1981_

_The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death_

It was simple, too simple for Sirius' liking. The inscription said nothing about the joy Lily brought to a room when she simply walked in, or about the way James brought laughter into their hearts even during the dark times when they thought there was no hope of survival. It was not enough to tell the world how amazing Lily and James had truly been. Sirius didn't think he could find enough words in the English language—or any language for that matter—to describe what they meant to him. But he hoped they knew...

Remus sniffed and led Harry to the foot of the graves. Harry placed a dozen white roses on the ground before his parents and stepped back, taking Sirius' and Remus' hands in each of his own.

"You want a minute, Sirius?" Remus asked quietly.

Sirius nodded and heard Remus leading Harry away to give him a bit of privacy. He knelt down slowly, holding back tears as best as he could.

"Hey, you two," he whispered. He looked around for a moment, not sure of how to begin. He had never done this before, and there was so much he wanted to say. He spotted Remus and Harry not too far away, looking at other graves. "I hope you two can see him now. It's only been a few months, but he's already changed so much from what he was when we got him from the Dursleys.

"I know you are both probably pissed at me for letting him go there, but I tried. Really, I did. I wanted to take him, and raise him as my own from the beginning. And I'm so sorry I didn't get a chance to. I'm sorry for not being your Secret-Keeper when you asked me to. I'm sorry for not being there for Harry and Remus all these years. I hope you can forgive me someday." Sirius paused, not bothering to wipe the tears from his face. "We are trying, you know, Moony and me. I know we're not doing as good a job as you two would, but we're trying.

"He's so much like the two of you, it's scary sometimes. He looks just like you, Prongs, with that damn hair and those glasses." He laughed softly. "But he's got Lily's eyes, and her temper. He's smart as hell, too. He's going to be a damn good wizard when he gets to Hogwarts. Gryffindor, of course. And I'll bet you anything he's going to be a star on the Quidditch team. Sorry, Lil, but there's just no way in hell that kid's going to be in the Gobstones Club." He smiled. "I miss you both. Everyday. I hope you know that. And also know that I love you both." Sirius stood and walked to the gravestones. He bent down and kissed the top.

Sirius wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robe and went to join Remus and Harry.

"You all right?" Remus asked.

Sirius nodded and smiled slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine. Your turn."

Remus walked past him, squeezing his shoulder on the way, and went to speak to Lily and James. Sirius watched him for a moment before turning back to Harry. His godson had sat himself under a large tree, looking around the cemetery with wide eyes. Sirius wondered for a moment if Harry was having flashbacks about Wormtail and Voldemort. But instead of bringing that back up, Sirius went and sat next to him.

"Do you want to go talk to them after Remus?" Sirius asked Harry quietly.

Harry looked up at him and shrugged. "I don't know what to say," he admitted.

"Whatever you want to say. Anything that comes to your mind. You don't even have to say anything if you don't want to, just being here is enough," Sirius said.

"But they can't hear me, can they?"

Sirius smiled and looked up into the blue sky. "They can hear you, Harry. They're always with you, don't ever forget that."

Harry thought for a moment. "I want to," he whispered.

"Okay."

Remus took a bit longer than Sirius had. Of course, Remus had been here more often and he probably had no qualms about figuring out what to talk about. When he reached the tree, Remus smiled sadly through his red-rimmed eyes.

"Are we ready?" he asked, slightly hoarse.

"Harry wants to say hi first," Sirius said.

Remus nodded and helped Sirius and Harry from the ground before leading them back to Lily and James. "Go on, Harry, it's okay," Remus urged, standing back for Harry to have some time alone with his parents.

Sirius and Remus watched silently as Harry sat cross-legged at the foot of Lily's grave.

Ten minutes later, Harry stood and walked back to Sirius and Remus, silent tears streaming from his bright green eyes. Sirius wordlessly picked up his godson and comforted him as they left the cemetery.

* * *

Later that night, after Harry had gone to bed, Sirius and Remus sat quietly on the sofa, flipping through various photo albums. The silence was only broken occasionally with a chuckle at a particularly humorous photo. Sirius turned to the final page of the photo album he had been looking through and smiled widely. It was possibly the best photo he had seen so far. Lily and James stood in the center, James bouncing Harry in his arms. Harry would occasionally giggle, showing off the only two teeth he had at the time. Sirius watched Lily wrap her arms around her two boys and hug them closely. All three of them looked so happy and carefree. Harry couldn't have been more than ten months old when this was taken.

Watching his family, Sirius didn't even think about what had happened to them; he had been so caught up in the good memories, he forgot to think about the bad for the first time in five years.

"You okay?" Remus asked again.

Sirius nodded, not looking away from the photo. "Yeah. For the first time in years, I think I am actually all right." He turned his head and returned the smile Remus was giving him.

"It felt good talking to them, didn't it?"

"It did actually; I was surprised how good it felt. I always thought people were stupid to talk to a stone when it obviously can't talk back. But now I see why they do it," Sirius said.

"Yeah," Remus said, looking into the burning fireplace.

The two friends sat together exchanging different memories of their lives for another hour before Sirius stood.

"Well, I should to get to bed. Moody wants to talk to me about something tomorrow, bright and early." Sirius cringed. "I'll see you in the morning, Moony."

Remus smiled. "Night, Padfoot. I'm glad you decided to go today," he said, following Sirius into the hallway.

Before going into his room, Sirius turned and smiled. "Yeah, me too."

Remus continued onto his own room, crawled into bed, and stared at the ceiling. He drifted off to sleep that night dreaming about stags, wolves, and dogs chasing each other around a large forest with a magnificent castle in the background.


	30. Epilogue

_**Truths**_

By Neurotica

_Epilogue_

Sirius leaned against the kitchen table and let out an impatient—but amused—sigh as he looked at the clock. Finally, after letting his impatience get the better of him, he went to the hallway and called down to the closed bathroom door. "Harry James Potter! Hurry up, or we're going to be late!"

He listened to the rustling around in the bathroom, muttered curses that made him raise an eyebrow, and watched the door open to reveal a rather distraught looking Harry. "I can't get my bloody hair to lay flat!" he exclaimed, running his hand over his head in emphasis.

Sirius grinned. "First of all, language. Don't let Moony hear you talking like that, or he'll have my head. Second of all, don't even bother. Do you have any idea how many charms and things your grandmother used to try and get James' hair flat before giving up? It's the Potter curse, deal with it!"

"But... it looks like I just went through a wind tunnel!" Harry said, frustrated.

"What's a wind tunnel?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow. "Never mind. Look, just forget about your hair for now; you can fight with it later. And it _will_ be one hell of a battle. Do you have your stuff ready to go?"

"Yes, Sirius," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "I packed two days ago, just as Remus insisted."

"Good. Grab your trunk and let's go. We've got a Ministry car waiting for us," Sirius said, walking to the front door. "And don't roll your eyes at me!" he added over his shoulder.

* * *

Harry smiled, shook his head, and went to his bedroom to gather his things. His snowy owl was already in her cage, eager to go. She had been a birthday gift from Hagrid, and Remus had insisted on calling her Hedwig.

Looking around, Harry spotted his broomstick standing by its lonesome in the corner next to his desk. For a moment, he debated on whether or not to bring it along, but in the end, he realized Sirius would bust him. So, with a sigh, Harry grabbed the end of his trunk, picked up Hedwig's cage, and headed out to the living room.

Sirius smiled proudly at the sight. "Look at you! All ready for your first year at Hogwarts! You have _no_ idea how much I've been looking forward to this."

Harry laughed. "Oh, but I do. You've only mentioned it a hundred and sixty-five times since I got my letter."

"Oh yeah," Sirius said thoughtfully. "Well, come on, then. We've only got forty-five minutes to get you to London and settled on the train."

Sirius led the way outside to the awaiting Ministry car.

"Can't you magic my trunk? This thing is kind of heavy!" Harry panted, struggling with his trunk and owl.

Sirius just grinned. "Nope, it's all a part of the Hogwarts experience!" he said happily.

Harry glared and continued dragging his trunk across the path to the car. Finally, Sirius took pity on his godson and helped him stow his trunk and owl for the trip. The two climbed in the back of the car and waited for the driver to begin the journey to King's Cross Station.

* * *

"Okay, how do I do this again?" Harry whispered, staring skeptically at the solid brick wall between platforms nine and ten.

"Just walk straight at the wall," Sirius said after a small group of Muggles were out of earshot. "I swear, it's not a joke," he added at Harry's raised eyebrow. "What? Don't you trust me?"

"Not after that time when I was eight and you told me the wall in Remus' closet led to Zonko's Joke Shop," Harry said dryly.

Sirius grinned. "You're not still mad about that?" he asked. One look at Harry's face said his godson was in fact still angry over said event. "This isn't like that time. Look, do you want me to go first?"

Harry nodded, obviously wanting to see his beloved godfather make a fool of himself in public.

"Fine." Sirius sighed. "See you on the other side."

Harry watched as Sirius waited for another group of traveling Muggles to pass. He whistled casually and walked straight at the wall. And disappeared.

"Hmm," Harry said thoughtfully.

He looked around again and pushed his trolley straight at the barrier. When he didn't hit solid brick, he smiled and come out on the other side.

The scarlet steam engine that was the Hogwarts Express gleamed beautifully in the light. Sirius was staring at it wistfully with his hands deep in his pockets. Harry pushed his trolley forward and stood next to him.

"Took you long enough." Sirius grinned, not looking away from the train.

"Ha ha," Harry replied, grinning back, but not taking his eyes off the train. This was the first time he had ever set eyes upon the Hogwarts Express. It was magnificent.

"So," Sirius said, clapping his hands together and turning to Harry, "guess we better get you a compartment, huh?"

Harry dismissed the slight sadness in Sirius' voice for the time being and nodded. The two made their way forward through the crowd of families wishing their younger children good luck at school, and warning the older ones to stay out of trouble. They walked the length of the train before they were able to find an empty compartment. Sirius helped Harry heave his trunk overhead and sat Hedwig on the bench.

"Well, this is it..." Sirius said. At Harry's less-than-excited look about finally getting to attend Hogwarts he asked, "What's wrong, kid?"

Harry hesitated and turned to look outside the train. "What if I don't like it?" he mumbled.

"You're kidding, right?" Sirius said with a short laugh. When Harry continued to stare out the window, he said quietly, "Come here, Harry."

Harry turned away from the compartment door and into the awaiting arms of his godfather. "You're going to love it there," Sirius said into Harry's hair. "Remember all the stories Remus and I have told you?" Harry nodded into Sirius' shirt. "It'll be great!"

"Wish Remus could've come," Harry said sadly.

"He wanted to, he really did, but he had to go to work."

"You're here."

"Well, yeah. But being the Head of the Auror Department, I can make my own hours. Remus' job isn't that flexible, unfortunately," Sirius said, rubbing Harry's back.

"I know."

"Besides, you'll be seeing him soon," Sirius said, pulling away from Harry slightly.

"Yeah, I guess." Harry sighed.

"Okay, before I go, do you have everything?"

"Yes."

"You've got the map?"

"Yes."

"And the cloak?"

"Yes."

"And all the prank supplies I bought you?"

"Yes, Sirius," Harry said, grinning up at his godfather. Not many parents would actually buy their kids pranking supplies and then tell them _exactly_ what to do with them.

"Good," Sirius said, checking his watch. 10:50 am. He sighed. "I've got to get going. I want a letter first thing tonight when you get to your dorm telling me how everything went."

Harry nodded. "Okay."

"You take care of yourself. And don't cause your professors any more grey hair than most of them have," Sirius said. After a moment of thought, he added, "Except Snape. Cause him all the grey hairs possible!"

Harry laughed as Sirius pulled him in for another hug. Sirius kissed the top of his godson's head and pulled away. His grey eyes were oddly bright. "I'll talk to you soon," he said, moving towards the compartment door.

"Kay," Harry said, watching Sirius leave sadly.

"Love you, Harry," his godfather said.

"Love you, too, Sirius," Harry replied.

Sirius smiled, winked, and jumped from the train, closing the compartment door behind him. Harry sat down on the bench closest to the window and waved at Sirius, who waved back. This would be the first time he would be without Sirius for a long period of time. And while both he and Remus assured him time would go rapidly, Christmas seemed an eternity away.

The compartment door opened and three redheaded boys entered, grinning at Harry.

"Hey, Weasleys." Harry grinned back.

"Hey, Harry, what's up?" Fred Weasley asked, sitting across from Harry. George sat next to him, Ron next to Harry.

"Not much, what about you?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," George said. "Percy's still bragging about being Prefect, Mum won't let us tease him, Ginny's all upset because she can't come with us..."

"That reminds me," Fred said, standing up and opening the window. He stuck his head out and called, "Oy! Ginny! We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat!"

Harry and the others laughed. They could hear Mrs. Weasley's voice reprimanding Fred, and Sirius' booming bark-like laugh.

"Only joking, Mum!" Fred called, pulling his head back in.

At that moment, the train lurched forward. Harry leaned out the open window and smiled at Sirius, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny. They all waved and he waved back as they disappeared around the corner.

He brought his head back into the compartment and sat down.

"So," George said, reaching into his cloak, "who's up for a game of Exploding Snap?"

* * *

Remus sat patiently at the long table looking out at the sea of first years that had just entered through the tall Great Hall doors. He scanned the nervous looking children for the familiar mop of black untidy hair. Finally, he landed his eyes on the bright red hair of Ron Weasley. And as to be expected, Harry was right next to him. Harry caught his eye and smiled widely. Remus smiled back and gave a little wave.

Harry had absolutely no idea how he was to be sorted. Both Sirius and Remus flat out refused to tell him, though Sirius had gone on in great detail—with a straight face—about the lake and giant squid. When asked, Remus only smiled and changed the subject to the weather, or something equally as evasive.

Remus sat back in his chair and listened as McGonagall gave the usual speech about the students lining up in front of the staff table. She went to the side of the hall, retrieved the stool and Sorting Hat, and placed it before the first years. Remus hid a grin in his goblet at Harry's perplexed look. Even after all the times he had been in the headmaster's office, Harry had failed to ask what the hat was for.

The hat's brim opened and began to sing about the different houses. Once it had finished, Remus clapped along with the rest of the hall. McGonagall stepped up once more with her usual long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will step forward, I will place the Sorting Hat upon your head, and you will be sorted into your houses," McGonagall said to the first years.

Remus had to bite his lip hard not to laugh at the look of indignant shock on Harry's face.

"And what was that all about?" Dumbledore whispered from the corner of his mouth.

"Sirius told him he would have to fight the giant squid," Remus said, his voice trembling in laughter.

The Headmaster chuckled and shook his head, now focusing on the sorting.

To Remus, it seemed like just yesterday that he and Sirius had gone to Surrey for the five-year-old. While there had been many hard times before things had finally settled down, Remus would not have traded any of it in for all the gold in Gringotts. Harry had grown into a fantastic young man, much like his father. He was confident, but not overly so, smart, brave, and loyal. The shy little boy they had begun with was not gone, but only showed himself at the rarest of times.

Remus' life had changed so drastically over the last five years, he often wondered if it was all a long wonderful dream. He now had his family back, some of them anyway, and he was happier than he could ever remember being in his life.

Sirius felt the exact same, Remus knew. The deadened look Sirius had as a result of five years in Azkaban had not gone, either, but, like Harry's shyness, it only revealed itself every so often. There were many times the two friends had reflected on how they nearly lost Harry to Wormtail and Voldemort, and that was when the look was most prominent.

But as Remus had half-heartedly predicted during the time of Harry's kidnapping, things turned out to be okay in the end.

Though Lucius Malfoy was still on the run—there was still no hint as to where he had gone—and Voldemort was still out there biding his time, waiting, life was grand.

The day the Dementor's Kiss was administered to Wormtail, Sirius and Remus traveled to Azkaban to witness it. ("Auror's privilege," Sirius had said darkly.) It was something Remus wouldn't forget until the day he died. He still, to this day, had nightmares about the scene. He shivered at the mere memory of it.

Coming back to the present, Remus focused himself on the sorting. He narrowed his eyes as a blond boy stalked up to the Sorting Hat. Remus hadn't heard the boy's name, but there was no mistaking that face.

"SLYTHERIN!" the Sorting Hat yelled before it had even touched the head of Lucius Malfoy's son.

Narcissa Malfoy—one of Sirius' many cousins—had denied any knowledge of her husband's whereabouts. Sirius himself had questioned her numerous times, and had even searched Malfoy Manor thoroughly. Sirius' job was dedicated to finding the Death Eater who had tortured Harry those years ago, and when he did find him, Remus wanted to be present—it would be a sight to behold.

"Potter, Harry!"

Remus snapped his head from the Slytherin table and onto Harry. He was slowly walking forward, still visibly nervous. Remus smiled at him reassuringly, receiving a shaky smile in return. Harry sat on the stool and McGonagall place the Sorting Hat on his head. Remus crossed his fingers under the table. He frowned slightly when the hat didn't shout the name of Harry's house after a full two minutes.

Finally, after seeming like an eternity, the hat shouted for the Hall to hear, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Remus had to fight not to jump and cheer with the rest of the Gryffindors. He conceded to a large smile and clapping hard while Hagrid whistled. Harry took off the hat and went to sit with his new housemates.

When he turned to Remus, he was grinning from ear to ear. Remus grinned back and slightly raised his eyebrow in question. Harry's grin faltered a bit for a half-second, but he shook his head and was drawn into a conversation with Percy Weasley.

The only person Remus had ever seen the hat take that long with was Sirius in their first year. Sirius had only recently admitted that the hat wanted to place him in Slytherin, but after a long debate in his mind, Sirius convinced the hat Gryffindor was best for him.

He would have to ask Harry someday what the hat had said to him. Ron Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor, much to Harry's relief. Those two, along with the twins, had been practically inseparable since they had met years ago.

Once Blaise Zabini had been sorted into Slytherin, the sorting ended. Dumbledore stood, stretched out his arms in welcome, and beamed at the students. "I have only four words for you at the moment, and they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

The students and a few teachers laughed. The Weasley twins chanted "Hear, hear!" as their feast appeared before them. It was just as magnificent as Remus remembered it to be. He would have to go congratulate the house-elves later.

Once the food had been demolished by the hungry students, the golden plates cleared and Dumbledore stood to begin his welcoming speech. It was the usual speech about the forest being out of bounds (Remus sent Harry a pointed look; Harry just grinned back sheepishly), and the dangers of the Whomping Willow. Filch's list on banned objects had increased since Remus' days, and he had a good feeling the Weasley twins were mostly responsible.

"Finally," Dumbledore said to the students, "I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Remus Lupin." Remus chuckled as Harry and the Weasley children cheered loudly—he ignored the glares from the Slytherin table. He waved politely as Dumbledore continued, "Now, it is time for bed! Lessons begin bright and early tomorrow morning! Chop, chop!"

Some of the older students groaned, but began filing out the hall's doors.

Harry looked like he wanted to ignore Percy's call for the first years to follow him and come talk to Remus. Remus shook his head and mouthed, _I'll see you tomorrow_. Harry frowned slightly, but waved good night to Remus and followed Percy out into the hall and up to Gryffindor Tower.

_Yes,_ Remus thought smiling,_ things will work out just fine. And this is only the beginning._

END


End file.
